


Of These Chains

by Madisuzy



Series: Turk Vincent arc [7]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Angst, Emotional Manipulation, Fellatio, M/M, Original Characters - Freeform, Sex, Swearing, Turk Vincent Valentine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2018-04-09 22:59:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4367540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madisuzy/pseuds/Madisuzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vincent can't let go of his memories.  Tseng can't let go of Vincent.  Something has to give.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> * Title comes from the song, Of These Chains by Red. Link to listen if you're curious is - [PRESS HERE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2My17vPGOig) -  
> * Reading the prequel to this, [NOTHING AND EVERYTHING](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1413511/chapters/2967811), will make this all make sense. Tamotsu and Toki are OC's, and much about them is explained in the aforementioned fiction.  
> * Occurs roughly six months after Barrel of Fun, and two years after the end of Nothing and Everything.  
> * Ages of characters - Tseng 30, Vincent 25, Reno 27, Rude 28, Elena 27. Tamotsu 36 and Toki 45.

Tseng looked over the report before him frowning. He wanted to just slip it to the bottom of his ‘to do’ list, not give it any time that he felt was better spent on current cases and the ever growing pile of paperwork sitting on one corner of his desk. His instincts told him to read it thoroughly though, focus and examine with all of his attention. There was too much riding on every detail pertaining to his prisoner. Too much risk of disaster, from so many different angles. It was frustrating, and aggravating… but much of his work was, if he was completely honest with himself.

The beep of his intercom was a welcome interruption, but he still let a minute pass before he answered it. Habit of appearances. A busy leader was bothered less, after all. Finally pressing the button, he murmured a disinterested greeting to Elena.

“Sir, Reno is here with his report.”

Tseng took a few deep, calming breaths as he slipped the report into one of his desk draws, locking it away for now.

“Send him in.”

***.***

Elena carried the tray carefully, keycard in her mouth as she watched the floors count down in the elevator’s display. The car wouldn’t stop until it reached her destination, the keycard she’s used to access the locked down sub-basement floor ensuring it would only stop once. Still, every lurch and jolt made her fear it would pause at an earlier floor, letting in someone who would ask questions she couldn’t answer. Her heartbeat was erratic as it sped in anxiety, then slowed as the lift continued downwards without interruption.

Finally she reached her destination, walking out of the lift into the dark and silent hallway. It took a moment for the lights to turn on in reaction to her arrival, but she could see that one light in the distance from here, although there was no noise coming from her charge’s cell.

One by one the lights flickered on down the hall, and she started forward, walking slowly from habit, so she didn’t get ahead of the illumination. Down here always gave her the creeps, so empty and dark, the hall way too long and silent, with only one cell of the many here, being occupied.

“My lady.”

The voice reached her before she was in sight, and she exhaled in relief that at least he was still talking, even if she never quite knew what to say back to him.

“Ah, I see it is dinner time.”

Elena took the time to pause at the small table in the hall across from his cell, putting down the tray to remove the keycard from her mouth and tuck it into the inner breast pocket of her jacket. Only then did she turn and look at her charge, smile in place, even if the earnestness of the expression had long since dissipated.

“How are you this evening?” she asked, sticking to the usual script.

“I am well, thank you,” the dark haired man responded, but his eyes were on the tray, not on her. “Was my request considered yet?”

Elena turned away, picking up the tray and walking over to the bars of the cell. Her charge stayed on his bed, more than familiar with the procedure by now, and as cooperative as always.

“It is being considered,” she replied, reaching into another pocket for the keys that unlocked the small door at floor level. Crouching down, she put the tray on the floor before unlocking the small door and pushing the tray through. Once she’d locked it again, she stood and moved back over to the table, sitting down on the single chair left next to it. “I’m sure there will be an answer soon.”

Her charge nodded, waiting until she was settled in her chair before moving to take the tray and sitting back on his bed. She watched as he slowly consumed his meal, not rushing, but thorough in his slow consummation of every last crumb. It still bothered her that he was only fed once a day, and every line of his too thin form seemed to taunt her conscience and make every doubt that she tried to hide grow that little bit more.

To try and distract herself, she looked at which book he was reading today, seeing it lying closed next to him on the bed. It was familiar to her, a favourite of his, and she was cheered a little to see him reading it once more.

“It’s still your favourite.”

He seemed a little surprised by the question, glancing at the book before smiling at her. She hated the expression, as there was never any warmth in his smiles .

“Yes. I’m afraid I am a creature of melancholy and habit, even now.”

His words stole away her cheer, and she spent the rest of her visit silently watching him eat, then arrange everything on the tray neatly before putting it back in place before the little door. His movements were so practiced and formal, the same as every other day she came to feed him. It made a part of her want to cry, but she showed none of these things as she watched him sit back on his bed.

“Thank you, my lady. I will look forward to your visit tomorrow.”

With a nod, she stood up and knelt down to unlock the little door again, pulling the tray through before locking it once more. Standing up, she paused, giving him one last look.

“I should have news on your request tomorrow. Sleep well.”

He didn’t answer her or even indicate he had heard, her diversion from the normal structure of the visit seemingly ignored as he picked up his book and began to read. Elena couldn’t hold back the sigh as she walked away, the lights of the hall going out behind her, one by one, until only the single light inside the cell remained.

***.***

_“Arashi.”_

Vincent woke with a jerk, memories and reality mixed into a blur inside his sleep muddled mind. Rubbing a hand over his face, he panted into the darkness, thankful that at least this time, he was alone.

The room felt too hot, even though the thermostat showed it was cool. Exhaling in frustration, Vincent threw off the sheets, cursing his mind and it’s insistence on torturing him with mistakes he could do nothing to rectify.

“Tamotsu, why do you haunt me still?” he whispered, silence his only answer. “I would have saved you… if only I could.”

The night was too quiet, giving Vincent nothing in response to his words. Tseng’s face appeared in his mind, reminding him of what he should be focused on, instead of these useless memories of what was already long lost.

Still he couldn’t just let it go. Tamotsu was a constant phantom that invaded every dream, every night he tried to find some peace in. His heart clenched, the familiar confusion only making him feel tired and worn through now. He had no energy left for the pain that kept trying to surface.

“I’m sorry… I love you but you’re gone, so just go,” Vincent muttered into the darkness, hand fisting in his hair and pulling in frustration. “Will driving me crazy through sleep deprevation bring you back?”

There was no answer, only silence and darkness. Hissing in annoyance, Vincent reached for his phone and dialed Tseng’s number. The voicemail message only added to the ice trying to terraform his emotional landscape.

“You bastard. Why can’t you, just for once, be there when I need you?”

Hanging up, Vincent cursed his own stupidity. Another mistake he would pay for. Another crack Tseng would frown at. What the fuck was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he just let this shit go?

He was dialing the number again before he was even conscious of just what he was doing.

“Sorry. Bad dream. Just ignore me.”

He hung up, throwing his phone across the room. The thump of it hitting the carpeted floor was completely unsatisfactory.

“Just ignore me,” he hissed into the silence, mimicking himself as anger curled inside of him with no prey to strike. “Fuck all of this,” he finally sighed out, heading for the liquor cabinet without further pause.

***.***

They were there again, just watching.

In the shadows, not making a sound or moving at all. The presence was undeniable though, the air heavy with the weight of their regard. 

He’d long ago stopped wondering how he knew when there was someone there, outside the bars. It was a feeling, nothing more… or maybe it was simply that his mind was starting to fracture. He didn’t feel crazy, but then again, if he was, he wouldn’t know, would he?

Pushing aside such thoughts, he stared out into the darkened hall and waited to see if this time it would be different. Just one little discrepancy of noise or movement… something to break up the monotony of what his existence had become.

The heaviness of the moment lifted, emptiness all that remained.

Frowning, he returned to sit on his bed, picking up the book he’d left there and opening to the marked page to read again.

Half an hour later, he still hadn’t turned a page.

***.***


	2. Chapter 2

Tseng opened the door to Vincent’s apartment as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake his lover considering the time. It was mid-week, and usually that meant they slept apart, in their own homes, but the two messages he’d received from Vincent earlier had left him worried and unable to rest.

Walking into the silent lounge room, he was not as surprised as he should have been to find Vincent passed out on the sofa, a half empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table before him. It was far too common an occurrence these days, and Tseng was lost on exactly what to do to remedy the situation. It wasn’t like they had the luxury of professional help, and Vincent did only drink at night, to help him sleep. Still, Tseng hated that he couldn’t fix this and had to just let it take its course. Hope that time would heal Vincent’s pain was all they had.

Sitting on the edge of the sofa, Tseng reached out and gave his lover’s shoulder a gentle shake, grinning at the pout Vincent gave him on waking.

“Fuck, is it morning already?” 

“No, no,” Tseng reassured, his hand moving to sweep the hair out of the younger man’s face. “I listened to your messages and was worried. You shouldn’t sleep out here. It’s cold and you’ll catch a chill.”

“Yes mum,” Vincent mumbled, but he leant into Tseng’s hand as if hungry for the touch. 

Tseng let him, smiling as he watched the younger man close his eyes and sigh.

“If you come to bed, I’ll join you.”

“Really?” Vincent asked, surprised enough to open his eyes and look up at the older man. “But it’s only Thursday. I thought that was against your ‘oh so precious’ rules.”

“Don’t push it,” Tseng retorted, pulling his hand back and standing up. Vincent started to frown again, causing Tseng to sigh and hold out his hand. “Come on sleeping beauty. I’m not curling up out here with you.”

Vincent finally smiled back, taking his lover’s hand.

“Sorry for being selfish,” he mumbled as they walked into the bedroom. Well, Tseng walked. Vincent kind of stumbled, but he was half asleep and a little drunk still. Tseng was doing a wonderful job of pretending he wasn’t though, which was all kinds of sweet in the younger man’s mind.

“It’s alright. You should be selfish when you need me,” Tseng replied, directing the younger man to sit on the bed. Tseng started to undress as Vincent watched him intently. “I like it, even if I fail to be available so often.”

“Well, I kind of always need you, so… yeah,” Vincent muttered, rubbing a hand over one eye as he blatantly stared at Tseng’s slowly revealed body. “Sorry though… for calling you a bastard, and saying you weren’t here when I needed you. You are here, a lot. I’m just a needy fuck.”

Tseng chuckled, walking over to straddle his lover’s lap. His hands cupped each side of Vincent’s face as their eyes met.

“Idiot. I love you needy for me. Never apologize for that.”

“Is that all you love?” Vincent asked, a smirk curling his lips as his hands came to rest on Tseng’s bare hips.

“You’re still pushing it,” Tseng growled before kissing that smirk away, showing in actions what he never could express verbally. 

Luckily, Vincent didn’t seem in the mood to argue, and responded enthusiastically, the question soon forgotten in the press of lips and twining of tongues. By the time Tseng pulled back to catch his breath, Vincent’s eyes were half closed, and the small whine he made as he tried to chase Tseng’s retreating mouth made the older man shiver in his arms.

“Want you.”

The words were barely more than a whisper from Vincent, but they made Tseng’s heart ache… even if this moment, like so many others, was tainted by the secret between them that always made him hold Vincent just a little too tightly. 

“Need you,” Tseng replied, his voice breaking a little on the phrase as his emotions slipped through. He quickly leant in to kiss away the concern and questions he saw bloom on Vincent’s face, avoidance the only shield he had left.

***.***

Vincent tapped a finger on the steering wheel of the car, eyes forward, even if his attention was really on the redhead in the passenger seat beside him.

Reno was slouching, as usual, but there was a tenseness to his form despite this, one Vincent knew had nothing to do with the stakeout mission they were on right now. 

The redhead didn’t trust him, even after all this time, and it was frustrating, to say the least. As the Turk's second in command, Vincent knew he needed to have a good working relationship with all of the staff… well, he’d come to realize it in the last couple of years anyway. He’d come to a lot of realizations he hadn’t considered before since Tamotsu.

Sighing, Vincent pushed the other man from his thoughts stubbornly yet again, refocusing back on Reno in his peripheral vision. Honestly, he realised it was his own incompetence early on that had caused this particular problem in the first place. Reno formed opinions on people slowly, but once slotted into a certain position in his mind, it was hard to change the redhead’s opinion. 

That whole shower incident around a year ago probably hadn’t helped. Vincent grinned a little to himself just thinking about it. He didn’t regret it, even if it had only added to the mistrust between him and his co-worker. The results of that day in regards to Tseng had, after all, been well worth the extra damage to his and Reno’s relationship, and it had pushed Reno and Rude together too. Watching those two tip toe around their obvious attraction had been a pain in the ass, an extra stress the Turks didn’t need.

Still, none of that helped him in his personal goal to fix things between himself and Reno.

Vincent would have liked Tseng’s input into the problem, but Tseng was a little weird when it came to Reno lately. Vincent was still trying to work that one out. He could talk to his lover about his working relationship with Elena or Rude without any problem at all, but if he mentioned Reno in such a way, Tseng became instantly evasive.

Vincent doubted it was jealousy, as Reno was obviously committed to Rude now, and Vincent was the same with Tseng. There had only ever been one person who’d come close to Tseng in Vincent’s heart but he was dead now, so there simply was no competition left.

Sighing, Vincent moved his hand from the steering wheel and let the limb flop into his lap to try and stop the nervous tapping which he was starting to annoy himself with.

The movement drew Reno’s eyes, only a quick glance, but then the redhead shuffled a little in his seat, his discomfort clear. Vincent swallowed down the annoyance and decided he needed some air.

“Coffee?” he asked, eyes still staring out the windscreen on their target address, even if his attention was fully on the redhead now.

Reno’s nod was like a trigger, sending him scurrying out into the cold.

***.***

Elena sat at her desk stiffly, staring at the computer screen before her as the numbness of acceptance spread through her mind. She’d guessed this already, but still the reality of proof was hard to take.

She’d always known Reno was far smarter than he let on, even to those closest to him. He was too damn inquisitive and stubborn… and intelligent enough to let those inclinations get him into a whole lot of trouble.

It was, after all, the major characteristics that had secured him a position in the Turks. Unfortunately, it could be his undoing too, especially in this case.

She went through the motions for the third time, checking the access logs and terminal identifications again, and cross referencing her findings with the security video feed. The conclusions were all the same though, no matter how much she wished they weren’t.

Tseng had to be told. There really was no other option. But this was Reno… her brother, in every sense of the word except for blood. On any other occasion, she might risk covering for him, lying to protect him, but she couldn’t with this. Tseng might just kill her this time. As much as she cared for Reno, she just wasn’t willing to die in his place.

Still… there were options. Reno was valuable to the Turks, this much she was sure of. Tseng was fond of him, even if it was in a disconnected, Tseng kind of way. Chewing her lip, she closed the screens she had open before running a hand through her hair and breathing in deeply. Presented the right way, there was a chance. She just had to find the right spin and hope Tseng was willing to listen to reason.

***.***

Reno breathed out in relief as he watched Vincent disappear down the street, relaxing for the first time all day. He was trying his best to seem at ease, but he could tell it wasn’t working.

Valentine was agitated, feeling Reno’s own discomfort and mirroring it back… and Reno knew he shouldn’t be in this situation in the fucking first place. It wasn’t that he distrusted Vincent, because honestly, on the job, he did trust the other man. Valentine had never let him down, never let down any of the Turks on a mission, and he was one of the best at the job.

It was… well… hard to explain, if Reno was completely honest. Yeah, there had been that whole shower incident a while back, but he knew that had been a set up by now. Reno could be thick about relationships, sure, he’d admit that much, but it was obvious in retrospect that Valentine had been doing him a favour that day, even if the way he’d gone about it had been a little abstract and kind of creepy.

Reno had worked with the other man long enough by now to realise that creepy was kind of his default setting. Well… creepy might be the wrong word. Intense maybe was better. Intense and intimidating as fuck.

None of that explained the persistent weird reaction Reno had to Vincent on a one on one basis. It was like some kind of twisted embarrassment, mixed up inside, but he really wasn’t attracted to him on any kind of conscience level. Like sure, the man was physically attractive, but it was like admitting your brother was attractive. Which meant Reno shouldn’t feel so uncomfortable when near him.

Lighting up a smoke, Reno pushed the whole issue to the back of his mind, deciding to try and enjoy the break in tension while it lasted. Staring at the building they were staking out, he instead let his mind wonder over the other annoyance in his life right now. 

The mystery of just what Elena was up to every afternoon still needled his curiosity constantly, like an itch he just had to keep scratching. Reno had found out enough to know it wasn’t his imagination or paranoia. She really was up to something, and it was official but strictly classified, but that only made him hunger for more detail.

Somebody was being kept in the holding cells in one of the basement levels, that much he was sure of. The classified elevator key-card logs that he’d hacked into showed that’s where she went every afternoon. There was also a meal order that the cafeteria made ready every day, delivered to an empty office on one of the rarely used floors, half an hour before Elena disappeared every day.

Reno bit down on his cigarette, drawing in deeply as he debated whether to look into this any further. He knew that this must be something Elena was doing on Tseng’s orders, but why would his boss keep it only between her and him? Usually they would all be briefed and take turns, to downplay the chance of one person being noticed constantly repeating the same actions, day after day. What was it about this prisoner that made it so necessary to keep it only between Tseng and Elena? And why did he only trust her anyway? Even Vincent seemed out of the loop on this one, which was probably the most disturbing part of the whole scenario.

Reno flicked his finished cigarette out his window, frowning as he remembered this wasn’t the first time Tseng had confided in Elena and nobody else. After that undercover mission Valentine had been on, the one that had almost done him in, there had been another secret that he and Rude had never been trusted with. One that had conflicted Elena so much that she’d even whined about it while drunk, even if she’d never spilled on what it was.

Freezing in place, Reno’s eyes widened as a possibility struck him. Was this the same fucking secret from all those years ago?

“Something happen?” Vincent’s voice suddenly sounded from beside him, startling the redhead from his shocked silence. He jolted around just in time to catch Valentine frown at his surprise and inwardly cursed himself for the failure to hide it. Reno hadn’t even heard the bastard get in the damn car.

“Nah, just… need the coffee. Nodding off a bit,” Reno mumbled out, knowing the excuse was pathetic, at best.

Vincent handed him the cup, frown only deepening. Reno took it and reached for his cigarettes, holding the pack out towards his team mate.

“Smoke?” Reno offered, managing a half smirk. This, at least, was one thing they had to share. Tseng hated Vincent smoking, and Reno never told on Valentine when he had the odd one when they were on a mission together. Since Reno smoked constantly, it was the only time Valentine could probably get away with smelling like an ashtray.

Vincent looked at the packet for a moment before his frown slipped away. There was no smile, but he did nod and take one, lighting it and returning the lighter back to the pack before he seemed to relax back to usual default level of disinterest.

Reno lit one for himself as he settled back into the seat, holding his coffee in the other hand and letting the warmth heat his chilled hand. Taking a sip of the drink, he hummed at the flavour, flashing a grin towards Vincent.

“You got great taste in coffee,” he conceded, figuring it was about time he made an effort, even if that weird feeling still persisted. Vincent hadn’t, after all, made him pay for his drink.

When Vincent gave him a half smile back in response, the first smile Reno had seen from the other man in weeks, it felt like a small victory.

***.***


	3. Chapter 3

He was brushing his hair when the feeling of being watched crept over him again. Glancing out into the darkened hallway, he frowned, wishing just for once whoever it was would say something so he could be certain he wasn’t just going insane.

The frustration was so familiar by now, like everything else in his repetitive existence, but for some reason tonight it annoyed him enough to push him to break the pattern.

“Am I really that interesting to you?” he murmured into the darkness, head tilting to one side as he tried desperately to focus and see something in all that nothing. “Is it some kind of fetish you have, watching the helpless and caged, as if I am nothing more than an amusement for your particular curiosity?”

There was no reply. The silence buzzed in his ears and dragged on, but he could still feel the other’s presence, making his skin itch in agitation. Picking up his book, he resisted the urge to keep demanding a response and settled in to simply ignore whoever was out there instead.

Minutes ticked by and that feeling of being watched, though still there, eventually lost its intensity. He was almost ready to lie down and sleep, completely done with the ongoing mystery of who it was that had been haunting him for the last two years.

“You are anything but helpless… even now.”

The sudden voice made him jolt in surprise and jump to his feet, his book falling forgotten to the floor. By the time he reached the bars he was breathing too fast, eyes wide… but as he stilled in place the soft sound of retreating footsteps tapped in his ears and slowly faded into nothing. His heart ached in his chest as his hands gripped the bars, his eyes closing tight as he tried to contain the sudden pain.

He didn’t recognize the voice at all. 

He hadn’t even realised how much he’d been clinging to the hope that the silent visitor was his master, watching over him but unable to free him just yet.

_I’ll come and find you, this I swear. No matter how long it takes, stay strong my little dragon. I will never let them keep you from me._

Toki’s last words to him repeated in his mind as he sunk to his knees, but instead of giving him strength as they usually did, this time all he felt was despair. 

***.***

Reno nursed his second drink with both hands, watching Elena on the other side of the table. He was really trying not to take this personally, and the sudden addition to their usual Friday night drinks line up was not helping.

Okay, so maybe he’d been thrown off kilter more than he’d like to admit when Vincent had turned up with Elena. She’d invited him, gods only knew why, and was presently faffing all over him like a schoolgirl with a crush, which was annoying as fuck. Even Rude seemed unbothered by the interloper… which wasn’t helping Reno’s temper at all.

Was he seriously the only one who didn’t want Valentine here?

Vincent’s presence wasn’t the main reason for Reno’s annoyance though. Elena had been acting weird towards him for the last week, avoiding being alone with him and not making eye contact. He’d been planning to hit her up about it tonight and sort out what the hell the problem was, but now….

Suddenly Reno realised that Valentine’s appearance made sense after all. She was using the other Turk as a fucking conversation shield, knowing Reno wouldn’t want to ask her anything personal in front of him. The epiphany just made him angrier. 

“Reno, cut it out.”

The redhead glanced at his partner, frowning at Rude’s whispered words. In his peripheral vision he could still see the two across the table chatting away like best buddies, seemingly too wrapped up in each other to notice… or care.

“What the fuck am I doing wrong now, eh? Do I need to close my eyes ta not offend ya delicate sensibilities?” he muttered back sarcastically, turning away to down the rest of his drink. “Didn’t know ya were the jealous, fragile type.”

Rude stood up, drawing Reno’s eyes back to him. He didn’t return the redhead’s gaze though, instead looking over to Elena who paused her conversation with Valentine when she noticed.

“I’m getting the next round. You two want the same again?”

Reno watched them all interact, eyes narrowing when Rude didn’t even turn to him after and just walked off.

“Trouble in paradise, Reno?” Elena asked, and when Reno turned to her, he couldn’t help the kneejerk feeling of relief to find her usual teasing smile had returned. It disappeared quickly though as he realised her eyes still didn’t meet his, her gaze on her drink as she finished it off.

“You tell me, princess,” Reno grumbled, watching her and wishing that she’d look up… just once so he could get some kind of read on what the hell was wrong between them. “You’re the one with all the secrets here, not me. Ma life’s an open book.”

Her smile disappeared at his words, and finally, she looked up and met his stare. All that he found in her eyes was hurt though, and it only made him feel worse.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Reno scoffed, looking away around the bar as he tried for indifference and failed. He was too annoyed, too uptight with Valentine here just watching them… and there was no way he could explain why with him right there.

Reno wouldn’t be surprised in the least if it all came down to some bullshit to do with Valentine anyway. Ever since he’d come back from that mission broken, the Turks had changed. Tseng had never been the same again, more withdrawn and closed off with them than even before. It was like their leader only had a certain tiny amount of himself to give, and now Valentine got it all and the rest of them got nothing. Rude still wouldn’t talk about most of his own damn time on that cursed mission, and Elena was always holding something back, hiding and changing the subject too often, even before she started avoiding him altogether over the last week.

Reno was just so sick and fucking tired of it all. What ever happened to the trust they all once shared?

“Ya know exactly what I fucking mean,” Reno growled, but he didn’t bother looking back at her, the feeling of her eyes upon him enough recognition for now.

Nobody spoke, not even when Rude returned and distributed the drinks. Reno calmed a little when his partner pushed one before him too, the consideration a bit of a balm to his turmoil. At least his lover was still thinking of him, even if his best friend seemed to be determined to leave him behind and move up in the world.

“If my presence is so upsetting to you, Reno, then I can just leave,” Valentine suddenly inserted into the silence.

Reno glanced over to him, watching as Vincent took a drag on his cigarette and blew it up into the air above them. Those red eyes were focused on Reno though, and the one sided smirk only made Reno’s ire rise again.

“No, please don’t,” Elena insisted, turning away from Reno to give Valentine her best wide eyed pleading look.

Reno scoffed again, biting his tongue to prevent himself from muttering the poison trying to force itself out of him.

“I appreciate your attempts to include me, Elena,” Vincent replied softly.

Reno sneered at the innocent earnestness he lined every word with. 

“But it seems Reno hasn’t gotten over that little incident he and I had in the alley years ago. Surprising, as I didn’t figure him to be the kind to hang on to such a meaningless little dalliance.”

Reno’s eyes went wide, shock and surprise mixing to drive him out of his seat as he stood quickly and went to grab Valentine across the table top. Unfortunately, Rude stopped him, his partner’s grip like a vice to his arms, holding him in place as he glared at Vincent trying to form words past his explosive anger at the accusation.

Vincent didn’t even flinch, his smirk only growing at his reaction.

“What the fuck are you talkin’ about? There ain’t been no fucking dallying of any kind between us, ya asshole,” Reno spat out as he tried to wriggle out of Rude’s hold. “Just what the fuck are ya insinuating, ya fucking lying prick.”

“Hmmm… so you really don’t remember,” Valentine mused, as casual as if this was a discussion on the weather. “Sucks to be you.”

Reno just sputtered as the other Turk stood up, bowing to Elena and apologising for the disturbance before thanking Rude for the drink and walking off. Reno was still trying to form words when Rude shoved him back down into his seat.

“What the fuck!?” the redhead demanded, eyes darting between Rude and Elena, who both wouldn’t meet his gaze now. “I swear, if somebody don’t fucking start explainin’, I’m gonna fucking… fuck! Just fucking tell me what the fuck this is all about!”

Elena was the first to sigh, rubbing a hand over her face as Rude continued to stay frozen, seemingly trying to glare a hole into the table top.

“Fine,” she finally muttered, eyes tiredly rising to meet Reno’s. “I’ll spill, since it seems you and him will never advance past this immature posturing otherwise.”

Reno was about to make another angry retort, but then Rude suddenly stood up, stealing his attention.

“I don’t want to hear this,” Rude muttered before he walked away.

Reno just stared after him.

“Reno, just leave him be and listen,” Elena pleaded, and when he turned back to her, the expression she wore alone gave him no other choice.

***.*** 

Tseng looked up when Vincent entered his apartment, surprised to see his lover home so soon. He was a little disappointed but managed to hide it in his expression. He’d really hoped Vincent was finally starting to bond with his fellow Turks when he’d been invited out for drinks, but the expression on Vincent’s face made it clear things had gone badly.

“You’re early,” Tseng said in greeting, turning his chair away from the laptop he’d been keeping himself busy with. He’d hoped his words might lead his partner to explain why, but Vincent stayed silent as he removed his shoes and hung up his coat by the door.

Tseng could only watch as he approached, but when Vincent dropped to his knees before him and rested his forehead on Tseng’s thigh, his heart dropped. He really hated it when Vincent fell back on this kind of behaviour, but understood that it was a coping mechanism. As much as it tore him up inside, Tseng knew he wasn’t the one that mattered at these times, and his own feelings had to be put aside.

Bringing a hand up to card through Vincent’s hair, he waited for the younger man to calm, petting him slowly and saying nothing. Eventually Vincent exhaled deeply, lifting his head up enough for his hands to come to rest on Tseng’s thigh, his chin resting on the back of them as he looked up at the older man sadly.

“Reno hates me.”

Tseng gave him a small smile, his hand still in Vincent’s hair gently caressing.

“No he doesn’t,” he insisted. “He told me himself that although you two aren’t friends, he doesn’t hate you.”

“When?” Vincent asked.

“The day before we… we extracted you,” Tseng replied haltingly, his smile falling away. He couldn’t hold the expression, any mention of that time stripping away his defences, as it always did.

“Well, he might not have then, but he certainly does now,” Vincent insisted, turning away to rest his cheek on the back of his hands, his eyes closing again.

“What happened?”

Vincent exhaled again, deep and sounding frustrated.

“He was angry and then I got angry,” Vincent admitted slowly. “I bit back and fucked everything up.”

Tseng hummed but didn’t comment. He wanted to know details, but didn’t want to push his lover when he was obviously so vulnerable. Besides, Tseng knew he could always bother Elena later for details.

“What I said was… unnecessarily cruel.”

“You could apologize,” Tseng suggested, watching as Vincent tensed up again. “Or not.”

Vincent chuckled, finally opening his eyes and sitting up. Tseng let his hand fall away with his lover’s movement, bringing it back to rest in his lap as their eyes met.

“I probably should, if he’ll let me,” Vincent conceded, smiling as he held Tseng’s gaze. “He’ll probably just tell me to fuck off, but at least I’ll feel better.”

Tseng couldn’t help but chuckle as his cheekiness.

“That’s the spirit,” he agreed with a smirk.

***.***

Reno didn’t go to try and find Rude after his talk with Elena finished. He didn’t go and get drunk either, which was probably the more surprising of those two options. Instead he went for a walk with no particular destination in mind, traversing the mostly safe streets of the upper plate in a kind of daze as he digested all he’d been told tonight.

Hours later he ended up in a secluded spot overlooking the slums below, staring at the distant lights of human habitation while the polluted breeze whipped his hair around his face and chilled his body to match the numbness inside of him.

So many things in the past now made sense and he couldn’t help but feel like a fool, as he’d been the only one not to understand, all because of his own stupid drinking issues.

With a heavy sigh he leaned against the side of the building he was standing next to with his shoulder, pulling a cigarette from his inner jacket pocket and lighting it huddled into the cement surface. Drawing deeply, he turned and leaned his back on the wall, staring upwards and trying to spot a star through the dense smog overhead.

It was so unbelievable that he’d made out with Valentine. Well, made out probably wasn’t the best description. ‘Rutted together like dogs’ sounded more accurate from Elena’s embarrassed explanation, even if she’d been too polite to be so crude word wise.

Reno grinned up into the darkness. 

No wonder Tseng had been so pissed at him the next day. It was kind of both cute and scary, that the Head Turk had been stalking Vincent that night, following the younger man on his own drunken wanderings around Midgar. Fate was a cruel bitch to have Reno, as drunk and just as fucked up by his own unrequited love, cross paths with Valentine in the same damn alley.

In a way, Reno supposed he was lucky though, for that drunken amnesia seemed to be the only reason Tseng hadn’t taken out his jealousy on the redhead.

Reno’s smile slipped away when he thought of Rude. He’d mouthed off to his partner that morning, unaware of what he’d really done, and just as clueless about Rude’s hidden feelings for him.

To think Rude had gone in to face Tseng, defending him and insisting Reno wasn’t to blame… putting himself on the line like that, in the face of Tseng’s ire.

It made Reno love the big idiot just a little bit more, even though he’d thought that wasn’t possible. He knew he had some serious making up to do in that area, but he was determined to fix those invisible cracks he’d been unaware of before. After all, he had finally gotten a handle on the drinking, doing it rarely now and only ever having a few. Having Rude to go home to certainly inspired him to be a better man, something he was thankful for… well, amongst many other pros being with Rude entailed.

Chuckling to himself, Reno flicked his smoke away and watched the little red glow of it disappear over the edge of the plate.

That only left the problem of Vincent. Reno couldn’t stop the frustrated groan that escaped his lips as he stretched out his arms, annoyed that he couldn’t bring up that old familiar anger towards the other man anymore.

Fuck, it was so unfair how similar he and Valentine were in some respects. Reno had to give the guy credit, cause really, Vincent had done some pretty nice things for him in the past. Rude being number one of those. Not leaving Reno in the alley that night and carrying him all the way home to his apartment, being number two.

He always got the coffee when they were on stakeouts now too, even if it was usually the less superior Turk’s job.

“Ah fuck, he’s been tryin’ ta be ma fucking friend, hasn’t he,” Reno muttered out loud to the night, rolling his eyes. His own ignorance was really unbearably embarrassing sometimes. “Now I’m gonna have to fuckin’ apologize to him too. Fuck, I hate my life.”

Pushing off the wall, Reno finally started making his way back to Rude’s apartment, muttering insults at himself along the way.

***.***

Elena had wandered back to the office after she’d parted with Reno, leaving the redhead to digest everything he’d been told in peace. Her own mind was simply tired, of all of this shit, but she knew going home so early would only leave her sitting there and rerunning it all over in her mind until it drove her nuts. She’d never guessed the night would get out of hand so quickly.

So here she was, alone at her desk buried in meaningless paperwork and trying very hard not to think at all.

It worked… for a while. Soon pure exhaustion stole her concentration though, and her mind slipped back to Reno and the fact he would, eventually, be back on her case again. Vincent had created the perfect diversion tonight, derailing the redhead’s suspicions, but Reno was never side tracked for long.

Chewing on her bottom lip, Elena gave up on distracting herself and pulled up the file she’d been preparing for Tseng, all the evidence of Reno’s snooping and just how close he was to finding out the truth. She re-watched every security video showing him accessing different terminals all over the Shinra tower to avoid being digitally traced. Then she cross referenced the time stamps to make sure they all matched up with the breaches in the classified access card logs and the attempted hacking of the security feed from the sub-basement holding cells.

All the evidence still pointed to the same conclusion. 

Running a hand through her hair, Elena flopped back in her chair, her eyes going to the ceiling as she tried, for maybe the hundredth time since she’d noticed this, to work out some way to tell Tseng with as little fallout as possible. Every single variation she could think of only ended up the same way.

Cursing in frustration, Elena sat up, reaching for the glass of water on her desk only to misjudge as her chair jerked forward, knocking the glass over. That single curse turned into a stream of swearing as she quickly snatched files from her table, throwing things onto the floor out of harm’s way as she tried to save everything from the liquid spreading across her desk.

In the end, she was left holding her keyboard in one hand and her monitor clumsily up against her chest, her mouse still in a pathetic puddle that was now slowly dripping off one side of her desk.

“This is karma, isn’t it,” she muttered into the empty office, exhaling deeply. Panic over, she turned to her chair, dumping her monitor and keyboard down on it and going in search of something to clean up with. It was a good half an hour before she’d dried the surface and sorted all the files and pages that had spilled out back into some semblance of organisation. Lastly, she put the monitor and keyboard back in place, pausing as she noticed something new had come up on the screen.

In all the chaos caused by the small accident, she must have hit a few keys, bringing up one of the classified logs Reno had been accessing.

“What the fuck?” she whispered, frowning as she noticed another pass card had accessed the same floor on one of the days that week. Sitting down, she pulled up all the logs for the last month and found another three times, with the same unknown card. Once a week, late at night, somebody was visiting their secret prisoner, and she knew for a fact it wasn’t Tseng by the card identification number.

The further she looked back, the more panicked she became. Every log was the same, even if the exact day varied. It was always once a week, always late at night, and always for only a short time. It had started before Vincent had been told too, so it couldn’t be him, and besides, she’s sure Tseng would have told her if he’d suddenly given Vincent access. She was, after all, responsible for the prisoner’s mental stability and health, Tseng having seemed to have lost all interest in him after the initial interrogation had been completed.

Maybe Tseng knew and hadn’t felt the need to share it with her. Maybe… but if not, just who the hell could it be? Elena did a quick search of the access card’s number, but quickly found she didn’t have the clearance level to discover who it belonged to, which only made it all so much worse.

She couldn’t risk keeping this quiet… which meant Reno was out of time too, because there was no way she could explain how she’d stumbled over this without admitting how.

Still, she wasn’t prepared to tell Tseng over the phone. Transferring the file with all the data on Reno’s activities onto a data stick only took a few minutes, and she made sure the original was then deleted before clearing her history and making sure all her digital tracks were erased. Finally shutting down her terminal and slipping the data stick into the pocket of her pants, she made her way to the door. Pulling on her coat, she stopped in the doorway to glance back, a simple final check to make sure everything in the office appeared the same as it had when they’d all left this afternoon.

She heard nothing before she was struck in the head from behind, everything going black.

***.***


	4. Chapter 4

Reno stepped quietly through Rude’s front door, gently closing it behind him before slipping off his shoes. He paused for a moment, fingers running over the key in his hand Rude had given him.

There’d been no big presentation from Rude when he’d given Reno free access to his apartment, no declarations or promises either. The key had just appeared in Reno’s pocket, and he’d only stumbled over it while searching for his lighter when he’d snuck out of the office for a smoke. Alone on the roof of the Shinra tower, Reno had laughed out loud at the little charm attached to it, his fingers running over the little figure just as they did now. It was a character from a popular kids show in Midgar, a cute little dude who’s defining characteristics where his sunglasses, bald head, and the fact he never talked.

Reno chuckled in the present, remembering how surprised and happy he’d been. It was a perfect moment, even if they’d not been together for it. Actions, not words, would always be what tied them together and made them work, which was why Reno was here now… even if he had no idea whatsoever as to exactly what he needed to do.

“You’re such a sap.”

Reno’s head jerked up at the voice, his eyes meeting Rude’s across the room. His lover was dressed only in a pair of tracksuit pants, chest bare and… that’s about when Reno’s brain came to a halt.

“Fuck, why ya gotta be so hot?” the redhead muttered, eyes stuck on all that perfectly toned muscle.

“Takes the focus off my face,” Rude replied, one side of his lips curving up a little. 

Reno’s eyes finally flicked up to his lover’s face, a frown twisting his own features until he processed the smirk. He’d been about to argue that he loved looking at Rude’s face, that he thought it was handsome… and now was so relieved he’d been saved the embarrassment of saying something so cheesy and weird. Hell, why was he feeling so damn protective anyway?

“Yeah, see I achieve that with ma hair. Way easier than all that exercise crap ya do,” Reno retorted, determined to shrug off his own vulnerability tonight. He smiled as he walked towards his lover, pulling his arms free of his jacket. It dropped to the floor forgotten as he got close enough to reach out and touch, his fingers splaying wide over Rude’s abs which twitched at his touch. 

“Liar. Your hair draws attention to your face…,” Rude murmured, one hand lifting to touch just above Reno’s ear and slowly sweep backwards. He was gentle until he reached the redhead’s pony tail, strong fingers gripping tight around it, tilting Reno’s head back a little so they met eye to eye. “… and those fiery eyes of yours.”

“Ma eyes are nothin’ like fire,” Reno retorted, the urge to fight the hold on his hair automatic. It made his breath come quicker, and his heart beat picked up pace as he pushed down the violence that tried to surface, instead redirecting the aggression into biting words. “You thinking of Valentine ta get it up, are ya?”

“Not that kind of fire, you idiot,” Rude chuckled, leaning forward to press his forehead against Reno’s as his hand released its hold on Reno’s hair to slip back to his ear. He ended up with a hand on either side of Reno’s head, holding him in place as if he thought the redhead would try to run away. “Although sometimes, I think I could get ice burns from how intently you look at me.”

“Now who’s the sap,” Reno mumbled, eyes closing as his discomfort rose with his lover’s words. This wasn’t how they usually were, and Reno wasn’t ready for this kind of emotional honesty. “Ya know, ya don’t have to seduce me or nothin’, so how about shutting up and getting to the good part?” 

Rude snorted out a laugh, but before Reno could argue any further, he kissed the redhead, making it clear that for now, he’d let him have his way.

***.***

Tseng stared at the ceiling, his fingers on automatic as they continued to card through Vincent’s hair. The younger Turk was sleeping soundly now, breaths even and deep. Tseng found himself a little jealous as he could find no rest himself.

Then again, he didn’t have the built up deficit of sleep Vincent was suffering from to tire him out. Tseng usually managed the recommended amount of hours needed to function effectively. When alone it was easy to rest well, secure in the knowledge he was fulfilling his role as the leader of the Turks to the letter, doing simply what was required to gain the desired outcome.

With Vincent lying here beside him though, looking so worn through and only finding enough peace to rest while in his arms… well, it was hard to discount his lover from the logistics in such a scenario. Vincent’s presence hurt his heart in equal measure to how much it soothed him, and none of it was his lover’s fault in the slightest. The whole problem lay firmly on his own shoulders, the conflict of interest he put out of his mind during the week unavoidable now.

Sighing, Tseng let his hand fall away from Vincent’s hair, and it was only moments later the youth rolled away and settled once more, separated but close enough to abort any possibility of escape. Tseng didn’t really want to go anywhere anyway, but the fact Vincent would wake if he tried to leave was a comforting full stop to any temptation of working away his insomnia, his laptop still out in the lounge.

His phone was right here though, just on the bed side table within easy reach. It was only a still forming thought when his hand reached for it, fingers on automatic as he glanced over a little guiltily to find his lover still deep in his dreams. By the time he looked back at the device he was already logged in to the system, checking the Shinra building’s security service to double check nothing was up.

All the higher ranks were where they should be and no alarms had been triggered, silent or otherwise. Bored as he ran out of work that was available through the hand held device, Tseng accessed the Turk offices separate security system to check his employees sign out times against the actual time they all left. He smirked as he noticed that Reno’s time of departure didn’t match up to his sign out time, as usual, the redhead always trying to fiddle the books just to get a little extra pay.

Tseng sent a quick email to his own work address to remind himself to fix that on Monday morning, before going back to close the application down. It was only then that he noticed an extra access and departure log to the office that shouldn’t be there. It was Elena’s security card but he could think of no reason for her to go back, there being no pending work that needed her to do overtime. She hadn’t clocked on to get paid for the time either… which was strange for her. Elena tended to be a creature of habit, and doing overtime on a Friday night was simply not in character for her. 

Tseng frowned, trying to think up why she would, but without his laptop on hand it was impossible to dig deeper and find out just what she’d been up to. Finally signing out, he was left staring at his phone’s lock screen, the Shinra logo unseen as he tried not to let the doubts grow in his mind. His overactive imagination would not be contained though, and in minutes his mind was inventing possible betrayals that stared Elena and always led down to that one underground cell that always fed his doubts.

“Tseng, put away your fucking phone,” a voice mumbled from beside him, making Tseng jump a little as he’d forgotten for a moment he wasn’t alone.

Vincent’s chuckle at his reaction was so deep that Tseng swore he could feel it vibrate through the bed springs.

“You look guilty,” Vincent whispered, rolling over and throwing an arm over Tseng’s thighs before grinning up at him with eyes barely open. “Were you looking at porn?”

Tseng scoffed, rolling his eyes before putting his phone back on the side table. He smiled a little, relieved that Vincent was so trustful that he never doubted enough to dig deeper… even if Tseng knew he didn’t deserve it.

“Reno tried to fudge the sign out times again,” Tseng murmured as an excuse, sliding down in the bed until his head rested on the pillow. He turned to look at his lover, feeling the familiar concern over how tired he always looked these days.

“You have me ready and willing in bed and you’re still distracted by work? I’m a little insulted over here,” Vincent complained, smile fading into a pout that was completely unbelievable… but still a little cute, Tseng had to admit, if only to himself.

“You were asleep, idiot.”

“I’m not now,” Vincent insisted, but his words were a little slurred, the exhaustion clear.

“But now I’m tired,” Tseng retorted, turning his back on his lover… although he couldn’t help smirking as Vincent didn’t take offence and curled against him.

“You’re such a prick tease.”

“Go to sleep,” Tseng insisted, his own hand curling around Vincent’s as it tightened a little around his waist. “We have all weekend to play. I want you well rested first.”

Vincent’s only reply was a mumbled whine of complaint, but he settled despite it, his breathing evening out into sleep soon enough as exhaustion once again won out. 

Tseng was left staring out into the darkness, pushing down the temptation of what he desired so much, curled around his back. Not having sex with Vincent tonight had not been easy, but his conscience didn’t need any more wounding presently, and his young lover was definitely in no state of mind for sex. 

Vincent had been far too submissive since coming home from the failed night out with the other Turks, and Tseng had learnt the hard way that a submissive Vincent wanted sex he was never comfortable giving. Not because it wasn’t arousing in the moment, but because it made Tseng feel like he was just a replacement afterwards, a stand in for somebody he wanted Vincent to forget had ever existed.

If only Tseng could forget the bastard existed too.

***.***

Muscles tensed under pale skin, hands holding on so tightly that they trembled slightly… but Reno’s hold didn’t falter. He was stretched out to his limit, physically speaking, across Rude’s bed, but there were no bindings holding him in place. Rude studied his lover’s form, a long line of sinew and strength, held under its own control in what had started as a game, but quickly morphed into something more.

“Fuck!” Reno mumbled before pulling his bottom lip between his teeth, biting down to stop anything more escaping his lips. The attempt only made Rude want to push his limits further.

“Not yet.”

Reno whined out a protest, so needy and wanton that Rude almost reneged… but it was a momentary lapse he soon forgot as the redhead under him arched up, searching for more friction. Rude smirked, slowing down the thrusts of his fingers and drinking in the sounds of frustration it earned him.

“You have to earn it, remember?”

“How long… do I got to hold on ta earn it?” Reno asked, voice breathless and deeper than usual, a tone only Rude ever got to hear.

“Not judging by time,” Rude replied, leaning forward to lick a slow line up Reno’s cock, but pulling away when the redhead tried to thrust up for more. “Barter for it… and don’t let go.”

Reno’s hands readjusted their hold on the bar of Rude’s bedhead, one finger at a time flexing in an attempt to relieve the stiffness of too much pressure, but he didn’t let go.

“What do ya want?” Reno finally asked a little shakily, hands gripping tight and stilling once more.

Rude let a few minutes tick by, his own fingers keeping a steady pace as they continued to stretch and taunt deep inside his lover. At least the conversation had stopped Reno biting his lip, his mouth now open a little as he sucked in unsteady breaths, intermittent sounds of pleasure soft but unchecked. Rude drank in every one.

“Honesty,” Rude finally replied, watching unsurprised as Reno’s breath hitched, his previous writhing stilling in a heartbeat. Rude took mercy on him and reached down with his free hand to stroke his lover’s neglected cock, slow but firm until Reno was distracted by pleasure again. “Just a game, and you only have to answer yes or no. No explaining required.”

Reno hummed a little to show he’d taken that in, but otherwise stayed silent. Rude paused the hand on his lover’s cock, letting his thumb lazily play over the tip in the moisture that had begun to gather there.

“Was your earlier attitude about jealousy?”

“No,” Reno muttered.

Rude removed his hand from Reno’s cock and stilled the fingers inside of him. Ignoring the sound of distress this caused from the redhead, he insisted, “Honesty, remember?”

“Fuck, who the fuck you think I’m jealous of?” Reno bit back, jaw tightening as his frustration made his temper flare. He didn’t let go of the bedhead though, so Rude started his fingers moving once more to sooth his lover a little.

“I think you’re jealous of Valentine getting in between you and Elena,” Rude explained, wishing that he could see his lover’s eyes right now to read him better. The blindfold though was part of the game, and he knew from previous experience that Reno liked to hide behind it at times like this. “She’s your best friend. Trust her.”

“Trust,” Reno mumbled sarcastically, but his breathing still hitched when Rude pushed his fingers in deeply a couple of times, throwing off the predictable pace. It was a risk, pushing Reno in the midst of sex but one Rude had decided was worth it. Yes, it might ruin the whole atmosphere and leave them both unsatisfied, but in the past Reno’s arousal had always won out over his temper, so Rude would persevere.

Rude wasn’t really after any answers here anyway, his intent being to plant seeds of thought in Reno’s mind that would sprout later. He knew how intelligent his lover was under all that attitude, but he was also stubborn, and sometimes needed a good shove in the right direction.

“I know he’s tryin’ ta be ma friend. Figured it out before coming here,” Reno suddenly admitted into the silence, startling Rude a little.

Frowning, Rude wasn’t sure what to say to that, as he’d predicted it would take Reno forever to reach that conclusion.

“But I still got a problem with her… not jealous, just…. Fuck, do we got a talk about that now?” Reno muttered, hips beginning to push down against Rude’s fingers more intently now, swivelling on each downwards thrust. “Don’t want ta think about Elena and your cock at the same fucking time.”

Rude chuckled as he leaned in to kiss the inside of Reno’s thigh, the skin trembling under his lips.

“Promise we can tomorrow?” Rude asked, his own mind rather relieved by Reno’s outburst. His logical mind might be sure there was nothing more than friendship between Reno and Elena, but sometimes their closeness sparked a little pain in his chest he couldn’t control. 

“Depends how good ya fuck me,” Reno teased back, his own grin returning. “Ya said barter and all… and I been holding on up here so fucking long my arms have lost all feeling. You want more from me ya gonna have to earn enough to cover it on top of what ya owe me here already. I’m n….”

Rude’s lips stopped Reno’s outburst, but Reno quickly recovered from the surprise attack and was soon kissing back as forcefully as Rude. There was no submission in Reno’s kisses, never was, and Rude loved that about him along with all the other surprises his redhead always delivered. The kissing was always rough, dirty and hot as fuck, just the way he loved it. Soon enough though, he was pulling back in pain as Reno’s patience wore out and he bit Rude’s lip.

“Your cock, now, or I’m leaving ta find someone else’s,” Reno hissed, sounding so pissed off that Rude paused for a moment.

He needed to see Reno’s eyes, to be able to tell how much truth lay in that statement, so he broke his own rules and pulled the blindfold on Reno’s eyes down before his lover could complain.

Everything froze for a moment as their eyes met, Reno’s blue burning the breath out of Rude’s chest with the intensity of the need in them. It was all directed at him, for him, about him… but it was the first time since they’d gotten together he’d ever seen love there too.

“Liar,” Rude whispered.

He pulled his fingers out of Reno and lined up his cock, his gaze not wavering from Reno for even a second. 

“Nobody else can fuck you like I can.”

Reno’s eyes thinned at his words, and Rude could see the argument seeding in the redhead’s mind, Reno never being one to back down when accused of needing anyone that much. As Reno’s lips opened to start his tirade though, Rude pushed forward hard, turning all those defensive words of poison into a shocked groan.

It had to hurt a little, that much Rude knew. He had prepared Reno well though, for over half an hour at a guess, and he hoped that would mean there was no damage. Still, he kept still, his own face pressed into Reno’s shoulder as he searched for a reaction with every sense but sight, buried fully inside his lover.

He could feel when the body under him began to relax, muscles slowly softening and breathing taking on a more regular rhythm. His own body shuddered as he held it still, regretful of his rash action… but so sick of Reno’s refusal to admit how he really felt. Rude understood it, sure, but that didn’t make it any easier to swallow when they’d been together so long now.

“Fuck me.”

Reno’s words were soft… strangely lacking in any anger or hurt. Rude frowned, trying to decipher what it meant, that tone he’d never heard before.

“Please move,” Reno added, sounding so young and vulnerable that Rude pushed down his cowardice and lifted his head.

When their eyes met, Reno smiled. It was such a sad expression that Rude instantly tried to pull away.

“No!” Reno suddenly exclaimed, the sheer volume of the word freezing Rude in place. “Don’t. Fuck… stop thinking and move. Please! Just… show me I’m yours. It’s what I need from ya right now, more than anythin’ else, I swear.”

There was so much vulnerability in Reno’s expression that Rude couldn’t refuse him. He pushed back in slowly, watching as the redhead exhaled and relaxed under him, eyes half closing in contentment. As he continued to thrust in and out slowly, Reno’s legs lifted to rest on his backside, his heels pulling Rude in harder on every entry, as his hips rose to meet each thrust. Rude’s eyes didn’t leave Reno’s face, searching for any sign of pain as his movements sped up, pushed onwards by Reno’s insistence and his own arousal.

By the time Reno came, Rude was biting his own lip, holding back with everything he had. The redhead was so beautiful in the moment, open and honest and vulnerable, that Rude lost his control immediately.

Minutes later, his senses returned to find Reno’s arms around him tightly as he panted, face buried into his lover’s neck. Words of love fought to escape him, the pressure of them building inside, fighting to be released.

Reno wouldn’t want them though, so instead he swallowed them down deeper with every breath he pulled in. Eventually, he calmed enough to fake a smile of contentment, sitting up to look down at his lover.

Reno chuckled at his expression, the redhead’s walls all firmly back in place. Rude withdrew slowly, keeping up his own contented expression as he escaped to the bathroom under the pretence of getting a towel to clean up.

He couldn’t even look at himself in the mirror, not wanting to see Reno’s defensive mask reflected in his own eyes.

***.***

Vincent woke up alone, frowning around the room grumpily at Tseng’s absence, until he noticed the smell of breakfast wafting in through the open bedroom door. Stumbling out of bed, he didn’t bother finding clothes before going in search of his lover.

Tseng was in the kitchen cooking, topless, and Vincent stopped at the entrance to just watch him for a while. He couldn’t help but smile at being unnoticed, enjoying the sight of Tseng being so relaxed and natural, unaware that he was being watched. There was just a certain tenseness to Tseng that was always there when he knew he was not alone, even Vincent’s presence bringing it out, if to a lesser degree. Unguarded moments were rare, and all the more precious for that very reason.

As Vincent watched, Tseng seemed to get distracted, his eyes staring out the kitchen window and his expression making it obvious he was far away. Vincent grinned, enjoying his selfish indulgence until he noticed the food beginning to burn.

“It’d be a shame to ruin it because you’re dreaming,” Vincent murmured, smirking as Tseng jumped in reaction, turning to glare at him before moving the pan off the heat and huffing in annoyance. Vincent only chuckled, finally walking over to wrap himself around his elder’s bare back. “Hmm… smells good too.”

“Seriously, how old are you?” Tseng muttered, serving the food out onto the plates nearby, but not moving away from Vincent’s embrace. It was a bit of a stretch, but Vincent appreciated the effort as he tightened his hold on the older man.

“Am I disappointing you with my teasing?” Vincent whispered, nuzzling into Tseng’s neck.

“No… more so your lack of pants,” Tseng replied, but Vincent could see the edge of his smile from his position, and he couldn’t help but mirror the expression. “One should at least bother to dress before dining.”

“Tseng, I love you, but you have an odd sense of propriety,” Vincent commented, reaching around the older man to snag the edge of the omelette on the nearest plate. Tseng made a vague hand movement to smack him away, but it was half-hearted at best, and easily avoided. “Hmm, this tastes as good as you look.”

Tseng huffed again at his words, turning in his arms to roll his eyes, but he was smiling, nonetheless.

“After breakfast, I need to drop into the office. Elena went there last night after the bar and it’s bothering me,” Tseng admitted, leaning in to lay a quick kiss to Vincent’s lips before extracting himself from the younger man’s embrace.

Vincent sighed, but he didn’t object as he followed Tseng into the dining room, his lover carrying both their plates.

“Alright, but I’m coming with you. Otherwise, you’ll find some excuse to stay there too long,” Vincent insisted as they sat down across from each other at Tseng’s dining table. There was already juice set out, knives and forks, the place settings perfect, as always.

Tseng nodded as he sat down, but he was still smiling. Vincent knew it was because he was naked, but he turned to his food and ate it like he wasn’t anyway, just to enjoy how distracted Tseng was through the whole meal.

It was nice to know he could still have that effect on his lover, after all this time.

***.***

Rude woke up flat on his back with Reno wrapped around his side. He didn’t move for a long time, just enjoying the moment while it lasted. His redhead was, at least, honest while asleep, and he clung so tightly to Rude that it soothed most of the leftover hurt away from the night before.

Eventually though, Rude got impatient. He knew it would not take much to wake his lover, so he turned and kissed Reno’s forehead, smiling as the touch roused the younger man instantly.

“What time is it?” Reno mumbled, eyes still closed and arms still clinging tight.

“Just gone eight.”

Reno groaned, hugging a little harder for a moment before he pulled away, sitting up to rub his eyes and look around blearily.

“Fuck, I got shit to do,” Reno muttered, but he looked less then enthused. Rude was curious though, even if he’d rather them both just stay in bed.

“What, on a Saturday morning?” Rude asked, deadpan. “It must be the end of the world.”

“Ha fucking ha,” Reno retorted, turning a half-hearted glare on his lover. “You’re the one pushing the whole Vincent and Elena bit, so shut the fuck up.”

Rude smiled, unable to help himself with the sudden burst of pride that swelled in his chest.

“Self-satisfied asshole,” Reno mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “You gone and made me so fucking guilty that I gotta go and apologise now. Your fault, totally.”

“You’ll feel better after,” Rude said softly, trying for reassurance. “And I’ll be here waiting for you. Might even reward you if you’re good.”

Reno’s expression brightened at his words, and Rude could only shake his head at how young the expression made the redhead look.

“I’ll be quick, in that case,” Reno replied, crawling out of bed and heading for the shower. “You better pay up when I come back,” he added as he disappeared through the bathroom door.

Rude didn’t bother getting up, instead closing his eyes and letting the sound of the shower lull him back into sleep.

***.***

It felt odd to be at work and out of uniform, even if it was the weekend. Vincent couldn’t help but stare at Tseng as the older man frowned at Elena’s computer, hitting keys and looking more annoyed by the minute. Tseng was in jeans and a blood red shirt, and he looked so good that it made Vincent’s mind wander to things he knew just weren’t a possibility… even if he wished so hard that they were.

“She fucking wiped her tracks,” Tseng muttered, frown turning more glare-worthy by the minute.

“Well, she is a Turk and it would be remiss of her to do any less, yes?” Vincent murmured, playing the devil’s advocate and getting a full on dirty look for his trouble. “Come on, you’d be disappointed in anything less, be honest.”

Tseng sighed, rather over dramatically. It only turned Vincent on more.

“You are not helping.”

“Oh, did you want me to assist? I can do that,” Vincent replied offhandedly, going over to his own terminal and starting it up. He pulled the security video feed up in minutes, and Tseng walked over to stand behind him, watching over his shoulder.

It was rather boring, for the most part. Elena working at her desk, then on the computer, spilling her water all over the place, cleaning it up before noticing something on her computer that made her whole demeanour change. Vincent turned to see if Tseng noticed, but the older man was already walking away.

“Stay here, I have to check on something,” Tseng ordered, and he was using that voice that Vincent knew better than to argue with. “While I’m gone, try and track down where she is now, would you?”

“On it,” Vincent replied, watching as Tseng exited without a glance backwards. He was tempted to follow anyway… but then again, testing Tseng’s limits when he was that agitated was never wise. Vincent trusted him, so instead he stopped the video and picked up his phone to try to call Elena directly.

***.***

Reno was in the hallway, trying to work out what to do next when his phone went off and startled the shit out of him. Cursing, he'd pulled it out of his pocket and answered without bothering to check who was calling.

“What?!” he'd bitten out, annoyed that Elena wasn’t answering her door, leaving him standing in the hallway with too many words crowding his tongue that now had nowhere else to go.

“Reno, have you seen Elena? I’m trying to find her,” Valentine asked, and Reno was so surprised that they were both looking for her at the same time that it momentarily voided his own annoyance.

“I’m at her door right now and she’s not answering it. Why, what the hell is going on?” Reno demanded.

“Not sure, but we need to locate her now. Check her apartment. Break down the door if you need to,” Vincent insisted.

“If she’s in there asleep, she’s gonna be pissed and I’m totally putting it on you,” Reno retorted as he took a step back, eyes on the door as he started working out the best place to kick. The more he looked though, the more he started to think that picking the lock was the best option. “Fuck, I didn’t bring ma fucking lock pick and her door looks fucking thick. Man… I might need to call Rude.”

Vincent’s laughter was not helpful, but Reno didn’t bother mouthing off at him. It would have probably only amused the bastard more anyway.

“Look, I’ll call ya back. I gotta get Rude over here ta help.”

“Alright, just don’t hurt yourself there, Reno,” Vincent chuckled before he hung up. 

***.***

Tseng checked on his charge, finding Tamotsu asleep in his cell where he should be. He didn’t bother waking him, heading straight back to the Turk offices instead, although he paused outside the door for a moment to try and think up a reason for his sudden departure. Vincent would ask… or maybe he wouldn’t. Either way, Tseng would feel better to have some excuse prepared just in case.

Minutes ticked by and nothing came to mind as he stood there, cursing his own over-emotional response to the day’s events. This could be nothing, after all… just him panicking because he has too much invested here, too much to lose if everything goes to shit.

He was still pondering a believable lie when his eyes caught a glimpse of something on the floor down the hall a little in the opposite direction from where he’d gone to the lifts. Going over, he reached down and picked up the security card slowly, his thumb running over the picture on the front as he straightened back up.

It was Elena’s… and she’d never be so careless as to drop it in the hall. Besides, she always took the lifts, and this was in the opposite direction.

It took him a few minutes to process, not because he needed to ponder it, but simply because he didn’t want to admit what it meant. Eventually though, he pulled out his phone and tried to call Veld. When he got no answer, the knot in his chest only pulled tighter, starting to restrict his breaths. 

Veld always answered, no matter the time of night or day. Swallowing down his panic, Tseng pocketed Elena’s security card and his phone before breathing in deep and entering the Turk offices, face impassive.

“Did you contact Elena?” he asked Vincent flatly.

“Reno’s getting into her apartment now. He’ll call back once he’s in,” Vincent replied, so many questions in his eyes but he thankfully didn’t voice any of them.

“I’ll be in my office trying to hack the system data to work out what she was accessing. Tell Reno we need him and Rude in the office when he calls back… if they don’t find her, that is,” Tseng instructed, walking past his lover and into his office.

“Will do.”

Tseng was so busy avoiding Vincent’s eyes that he completely missed the pure disappointment on his lover’s face.

***.***


	5. Chapter 5

Vincent was so bored half an hour later that he started arguing with himself over whether or not to go risk Tseng’s wraith. It wasn’t like he’d been left with anything else to do but wait for Reno’s call back, and surely there was something useful he could be doing. He hated to be so inert, but Tseng had shut his office door and it was an unspoken rule that meant he wanted to be left alone until there was an update.

Luckily, Vincent’s phone started to ring before he decided anything, and he answered it before the second ring, eager to get this latest problem solved and done with. He was sure Elena was fine and Tseng was just being paranoid, but he knew his opinion meant nothing in the circumstances.

“We’re in but she’s not here,” Reno’s voice drawled over the line, the redhead not bothering with a greeting.

“Everything look normal?” Vincent asked, fiddling with a pen as his eyes stayed fixed on Tseng’s office door.

“Yeah, nothin’s messed up. Can’t tell if she’s been home cause it’s always so fucking neat anyway. She could of just gone out early or something,” Reno continued, sounding a little annoyed. “Like, is there a friggin’ reason for all this panic?”

“She came back to the office after drinks last night,” Vincent murmured, letting the pen drop onto the desk as he stood up. “Tseng's being paranoid and wants to know why, for some reason he’s not sharing.” Vincent couldn’t hide his own annoyance from seeping into his tone, but Reno’s chuckle made him regret his slip in control. Breathing in deep to contain the urge to snap at the redhead, he instead added, “Oh, and he ordered that you and Rude had to come into work immediately if she wasn’t there.”

Reno’s cursing before the call disconnected was satisfying, as Vincent knew quite well that there was nothing the other man hated more than working on weekends.

Putting his phone away, Vincent felt a little better and at least now he had an excuse to interrupt Tseng and try to find out just what the hell was going on.

***.***

Elena woke up with a pounding headache, and at first she spent too long trying to remember why she would have drunk so much the night before… until she finally remembered she didn’t.

Everything came back too quickly then, a jumble of memories that ended in pain and darkness. Luckily, she hadn’t moved yet, so she continued to lie still and try to work out just where the hell she was.

Whatever bed she was lying on was soft and smelt of fresh linen, with a slight scent of an unfamiliar men’s aftershave. Fear started to curl inside of her, but her training insisted that she concentrate on the facts instead of her imagination that was trying to run wild.

She was not tied up, so whoever knocked her out and brought her here either didn’t see her as much of a threat, or their intent wasn’t to keep her for long. Although, that begged the question of why they had knocked her out in the damn first place.

Elena hoped, with all of her heart, that this had nothing to do with what she was working on just before she was taken.

Finally she came to the conclusion that pretending to be asleep any longer was pointless, as she was wide awake and thinking clearly by then. Opening her eyes, she suddenly wished very much she hadn’t.

“Hello, Elena.”

***.***

Rude straightened his tie as the elevator started to move, his eyes drawn to Reno’s back no matter how much he tried not to look.

He’d put on his work clothes when he’d gotten the call earlier from Reno to bring his lock picking kit over to Elena’s apartment, figuring it was work related and he might as well be dressed for it, to avoid having to come home later and change. 

Reno though, was out of uniform and looking like a rainbow vomited on him, if Rude was completely honest… not that he’d ever say that to his lover. The redhead’s jeans were normal enough, blue and faded, but his t-shirt was bright green and had large messy red characters in red writing across the back in Wutain that Rude couldn’t read, and really didn’t want to know the meaning of. More than likely it was something offensive, if Reno’s fashion choices of the past were anything to go by. He’d really rather not think too much about it. Besides, the colours were offensive enough on their own, especially when paired with the electric blue beanie he was wearing on his head.

Rude would have considered the possibility that the redhead was colour-blind if he didn't already know better. Reno just liked to offend, even casually, and with that outfit, Rude couldn’t fault him on achieving that.

“Fucking can’t believe this shit is goin' down on a Saturday morning. Seriously, what the fuck do ya think this is really all about?” Reno asked, turning to glance at Rude over his shoulder.

“You know more than I do,” Rude simply answered… vaguely glad his shades cut down some of the glare from Reno’s too bright fashion choices.

“Nah, I know shit. Most Valentine said was Tseng’s being paranoid.” Reno chuckled, turning back to face the doors. “Sounds like he’s as pissed about it as I am though, which cheers me up a little.”

Rude sighed, because Reno was always like this with Vincent. He'd say it was unresolved sexual tension if the possibility didn’t hurt his heart so much.

“I thought you two were going to stop this fighting between you… or did you forget?” Rude muttered, as he really just wanted them to be normal co-workers without all the bitchy little flirtatious side remarks.

“Fine, fine… Like, I know, but it’s kinda habit, ya know?” Reno conceded, hands raising to fiddle with his hair, pulling some out from beneath its wool covering. “Gotta talk ta him first, sort shit out and then… I dun know. Be normal or somethin’.”

Rude was saved from continuing the topic by the ding of the lift, both of them stepping out and heading straight for the office. When they entered, it was strangely silent and empty… but then the sound of raised voices became clear through Tseng’s office door.

“Eh, mum and dad are arguing again,” Reno murmured, smirking as he took a seat at his desk to wait.

Rude sighed once more, not bothering to respond as he sat at his own desk and rested his head in his hands. He just wanted to be back in his bed, sleeping.

***.***

“I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting before, even if I’m sure you know who I am.”

Elena couldn’t seem to get her voice to work, her eyes wide as she tried desperately to get a grip on the situation. Nothing was making any sense at all and her training was completely failing her in the midst of her confusion.

“It may come as a surprise to you that I know who you are, but I like to pride myself on knowing the important parts of this company well, and the Turks are, after all, a very important part.”

Elena managed to nod, an automatic polite response to show she was listening, even if she was still internally flailing a little. Swallowing, she was about to try to speak when he simply continued on as if there was nothing at all strange about the situation.

“Not only important, but very often underestimated as well, it would seem. Which, of course, brings us to the reason you are here right now.”

“Y-you knocked me out?” Elena managed to stutter out, frowning before she quickly added, “…Sir?”

“Yes, I did. I hope you’ll forgive me for the rough handling, but in the circumstances, it was necessary. You’re a very curious person, which is an asset to the Turks, I’m sure. In this instance though, I’m afraid it’s gotten you into a bit of a bind.”

Elena frowned, trying to work out what he was referring to, but only one thing came to mind… but how to ask without giving anything away if she’ was wrong?

“Despite this, I’m sure you and I can work out a solution that is beneficial to both our positions and end goals. After all, what I want is only a small favour, and in return, I have information that… well, should have never been kept from you in the first place. Are you willing to hear me out with an open mind, Elena?”

“Yes, Sir,” Elena replied, sitting up straighter on the bed as her expression flattened out to hide how fast her heart was beating. Wearing her professionalism like a shield, she managed a smile as she replied, “Shinra _is_ who pays my wage, after all.”

The smile Rufus Shinra gave her in return was chillingly cold.

***.***


	6. Chapter 6

Tseng glared over his desk at Vincent, his hands curled into fists beneath the table top. Usually, his second in command’s instinct and resoluteness when it came to work were a blessing, but right now he wished both were absent. 

“Are you refusing to tell me because you consider me to be untrustworthy? Is that what all this fucking covertness is really about?” Vincent demanded loudly, both hands on Tseng’s desk as he leaned forward a little, staring intently at his leader.

“There is nothing covert going on,” Tseng retorted, voice raising in volume to match as his temper flared. “Nothing that I yet know about, at least. Can I not be concerned for the wellbeing of my other employees without it being about you? Has your paranoia and self-centeredness really hit such heights?”

Vincent flinched back at the insult, a wounded look crossing his face before his expression hardened into cold fury. 

“Fucking bastard, don’t you dare start attacking me as a diversion. I know you’ve had Elena doing something off the books for you and I’ve let it pass, because I fucking trust you. The only logical reason you’d be this worried about her for not being easily contactable on the weekend is if she could be in danger.” Vincent’s voice was little more than a growl now, deep as it always was when he was really angry.

Tseng swallowed, their eyes locked as he tried to think of some way to redirect this whole shit storm. He couldn’t tell Vincent the truth, couldn’t even tell him half of it with Elena’s Identity card in his pocket and Veld not answering his phone. Tseng had to know more before he could spin any kind of response that wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass later. 

Then again, there were other ways to manipulate his lover, even if using them made him feel like pond scum.

Looking off to the side, Tseng sighed deeply, closing his eyes. The reality that he was far more worried about what Elena could reveal to others if interrogated, rather than her personal safety, ate at his conscience… but keeping Vincent by his side was his priority now. He would sacrifice everything else for that one goal. It was far too easy to let the stress and regret he was feeling seep into his expression.

“I don’t have anything concrete, it’s just… instinct,” he began, voice turning soft and unsure. “Elena has never come back to work on a Friday night after drinks before and she didn’t even sign in to be paid for the extra work. Nothing she was working on was dangerous and I don’t like feeling that something is wrong when I have no idea what it could be.” Looking up to Vincent, he let his fear of losing his lover show for once, wielding it like a weapon. “Am I wrong to be so concerned without solid evidence?”

Vincent’s expression softened instantly as he moved around the desk, and Tseng turned his chair to face him, although his courage failed at the last instant and he closed his eyes again. Vincent would probably read it as shame at the weakness he was showing… and it was shame, but for very different reasons. Lying to Vincent was a necessity, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed doing it.

“Hey… you should have just said that in the first place,” Vincent murmured softly, both hands coming to rest on Tseng’s thighs. “I’m sorry I lost my temper but I just… I hate the thought you’re keeping something from me. I want to help, and I can’t if you’re not honest.”

Every word was like a blade, slowly piercing Tseng’s heart. He didn’t even realize he was trembling until Vincent’s arms wrapped around him tightly.

“I love you, so much. Don’t ever doubt that.”

The sudden ringing of the phone on Tseng’s desk broke the moment, and Vincent released him to answer it… although he remained kneeling between his legs, one hand on his thigh as if he thought Tseng would try to bolt. 

“He wants you to hack the system, find out anything you can about what she was doing here last night,” Vincent was saying into the device, expression a little annoyed again. Tseng guessed it must be Reno on the line. “Yes, security feed too, of her coming and going. Check if she talked to anyone on the way or if anyone was following her.” Vincent’s hand on Tseng’s thigh began to creep upwards as he spoke and Tseng raised an eyebrow at his lover, who glanced at him and smirked. “We’re busy working on the problem in here. We’ll be out when we’re done to check on your progress.”

Tseng could hear Reno was still bitching rather loudly as Vincent pulled the phone from his ear and hung it up.

“Now, you need to relax, to be able to think straight, and as your second in command, I will take that job myself,” Vincent informed him, both hands going to the buckle of Tseng’s pants.

“I thought we had a rule about my office,” Tseng murmured, but he didn’t move to stop the younger man from revealing him.

“No, not _we_ had a rule. _You_ had a rule,” Vincent disagreed, smirk far too self-assured. “And as you well know, I’m very good at breaking your rules.”

It was hard to argue with Vincent’s logic, especially when he was all too accurate. Tseng would have still tried out of pure stubbornness, but then Vincent’s swallowed his cock and all his stubbornness evaporated.

***.***

Reno settled in to his computer grudgingly, a little appeased by Rude’s offer of coffee and breakfast. His partner was off acquiring both at present, so Reno went to work in uncovering just what it was Elena had been doing the night before.

She’d covered her tracks well, but not well enough to stop him uncovering what she’d been accessing. Elena was brilliant, but her skills lay more in the direction of mechanical engineering, invention and design. Reno was the tech expert though, and he’d yet to meet anyone that could out manoeuvre him in the digital realm.

His smugness quickly disappeared when he finally retrieved just what she’d been working on.

“Fuck,” Reno muttered, quickly skimming through the files, video feeds and security card logs. She’d found him out, and had been collating everything he’d been doing into a neat little package, no doubt to show Tseng. It hurt… more than he was ready to deal with, even if it wasn’t quite betrayal, not yet. The fact he wasn’t dead meant she hadn’t passed on the information to Tseng so far, and it was obvious from the time stamps that she’d found all this some time ago.

It explained her avoidance of him though, and all the weird behaviour lately. Elena was obviously wrestling with what to do, and had deleted all her activities from the system last night before going missing. But she hadn’t deleted any of the original proof from the mainframe. It was all still there, for anyone with a decent level of hacking ability to find. So she wasn’t protecting him, but she hadn’t turned him in yet either.

Reno hissed out a breath, sitting back in his chair and trying to logic it all out in his head.

If whatever she was hiding was serious enough to put her in danger, than he was in danger too, and not just from Tseng. While he’d left all the evidence there himself before, simply because deleting videos and logs would raise suspicion and draw attention to the whole thing anyway, this time he didn’t make the same mistake. 

Pulling a USB drive from his pocket that he kept on himself at all times, Reno copied a virus onto the video storage system, and then another similar virus onto the security log system. Once they were downloaded, he wasted no time in completely erasing his history from the system. The virus’ would do the rest, corrupting both systems and leaving no salvageable information behind.

***.***

Elena ate the breakfast Rufus Shinra provided on automatic, her mind still reeling at the mess she’d landed in the middle of. She was angry, which wasn’t helping her to focus in the slightest, and she tasted nothing of the food she was consuming as she tried to bury the feelings of Tseng’s betrayal for later introspection.

Rufus was just as silent, having presented his case to her before insisting she eat before deciding whether to take his offer or not. It was far too simple a request from him, especially when considering the amount of information he’d handed over, so she was aware she was being played… although she had no damn idea how or why.

Elena knew she was well and truly out of her league here, and her only option at present was to agree. Rufus Shinra had enough power to make her disappear on a whim and really, the illusion of choice was more of a politeness than anything else. Still… why was he bothering to be polite in the first place?

Rufus stopped eating across from her to answer his phone and she watched as he spoke in one word replies, giving nothing away of whom he spoke to or what was said. She put down her knife and fork, unable to eat any more with her stomach twisting and turning like a stormy sea. Rufus ended his call and glanced at her before sitting back and just watching her as he processed whatever he’d learned from his call.

“Your actions last night have been noticed by your co-workers,” he eventually murmured, glancing at her phone that sat on the table between them. “And, of course, your absence today has as well.”

“I will deal with their questions on both when we are done here,” she replied, meeting his eyes and not flinching away from his cold stare. “As for your requests… I will do as you ask.”

Rufus smiled, an empty expression that she wished he would keep to himself.

“Well, as to that, what I required of you just became simplified,” Rufus remarked, reaching for his coffee and taking a slow drink. “It would seem Tseng called all hands into the office this morning, and a certain little redhead took care of the video and access logs for us.”

“You’re working with Reno too?” Elena asked, frown deepening as the pain in her stomach intensified.

“Oh no, not at all,” Rufus replied, chuckling a little as he put down his coffee and reached for her phone, glancing over the missed calls on the screen. “It would seem he found out that you’d been looking into his activities, so his self-preservation kicked in. In protecting himself, he just did a marvellous job of corrupting all the files I wanted you to adjust.”

“And the USB you took from me?” Elena risked adding, knowing now it was the only proof left of not only Reno’s actions, but Rufus’ own as well.

“You need not concern yourself with that, my dear,” Rufus purred condescendingly. “I’m sure you’ll have your hands full with what I’ve asked of you already, yes?”

Elena didn’t bother trying to dredge up a fake smile, but she nodded and met his eyes across the table. Rufus’ gaze was calculating and intense, belying the offhandedness of his tone and words. He could play cavalier well, but it was obvious he was far from that in reality.

“My priority is the safety of my co-workers. If… if there must be collateral damage to insure that, then it’s a price I’m willing to pay.” An image of Tamotsu sitting in his cell flittered through her thoughts but she quashed it down stubbornly. Letting Rufus have him was of little concern when he’d been a dead man walking for the past two years anyway, even if she hadn’t wanted to accept the truth of it.

“Keep being smart and we’ll get along famously,” Rufus stated as he stood, holding out her phone and dropping it into her palm. “I’m sure you can guess that betraying my trust is not advisable. There are already so few of you Turks left, after all.”

***.***

Tseng was so close to climax, completely naked with his legs spread over the arms of his office chair shamelessly, staring at the roof as he tried to just hold on just a little longer. Looking at Vincent between his legs would be the end of him, and he didn’t want to come like this.

“Vincent!” he groaned, hands tugging in the younger man’s hair as he tried to get his attention. It wasn’t working, each pull of the strands only seeming to egg Vincent on and make him suck harder and thrust his fingers deeper into Tseng’s body. “Fuck… Vincent, please stop!” he managed to hiss out, even as his hips danced between mouth and fingers without pause.

Vincent did pull back then, his need to chuckle at Tseng’s begging too much for him to resist.

“I can’t stop,” Vincent teased, kissing the end of Tseng’s cock and pulling a whimper out of the older man’s mouth as he continued finger fucking him. “You’re not relaxed at all yet, Sir.”

“D-don’t call me that,” Tseng growled, finally risking a glance down towards his lover. Vincent’s lips were red and a little swollen, but the look on his face was pure contented sin. “I want you to fuck me,” Tseng inserted into the silence, enjoying the look of shock his words brought to Vincent’s previously smug expression.

“Seriously?”

“Yes,” Tseng insisted, looking away. He hoped Vincent just took his inability to meet his eyes as embarrassment, even if it was far from the real reason he wanted this. Guilt still coursed through him over all the lies between them, and he didn’t want to be the only one enjoying this moment, as he knew he was so undeserving of pleasure right now. At least this way, he could give something back… even if it was so little in comparison to what he’d taken from Vincent already.

He was a little startled a moment later when Vincent pulled him up rather roughly from his chair and pushed him onto his back on his desk. Staring up into his lover’s intense red eyes, all he saw was want and adoration though, not a flicker of suspicion evident.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so fucking long… you have no idea,” Vincent mumbled, his hands arranging Tseng as he wanted, legs spread and arms above his head. “Hold on to the edge of your desk up there… cause you’re going to need to hang on.”

Tseng couldn’t help but chuckle at his enthusiasm, Vincent far too excited over something so small. It wasn’t like Tseng didn’t bottom at all, even if it was more common he topped.

“Laugh at me all you want, while you still can,” Vincent only retorted in reaction, leaning in to kiss him hard, dominating as he stole away all Tseng’s amusement and left him with nothing but want.

There was no warning before Vincent entered him in one hard thrust, making Tseng gasp into the younger man’s mouth, all breath stolen away. Vincent didn’t even pause, starting to thrust in and out immediately as Tseng’s hands held on so tightly to the edge of his desk that his knuckles went white.

It was rough, fast and perfect. Tseng couldn’t stop the sounds each thrust forced from him, and as Vincent’s mouth moved down to bite and lick at his neck, there was nothing muting them from being heard from outside. In the moment, Tseng didn’t care, couldn’t have stopped himself even if he’d had the sense to care.

He was coming in minutes, hands giving up on holding the edge of the desk above his head to instead curl around Vincent and hold him tightly. Even when his orgasm ebbed, he didn’t let go, holding on as Vincent built up to his own, the young man’s face buried in his neck as he panted and mumbled words both lovingly sweet and dirty as hell.

Tseng smirked, despite the fact he was starting to get a little sore by this stage. Vincent’s enthusiasm wasn’t paling, but it was obvious he was trying to drag out the pleasure for as long as possible, something he’d gotten quite good at over the last year. Tseng couldn’t just let him have it all his own way though.

“Vincent,” Tseng whispered, hands moving to each side of Vincent’s face to make the other meet his gaze. 

“Tseng,” Vincent gasped out in response, thrusts fast but measured as he stared dazedly into Tseng’s eyes.

“So beautiful,” Tseng began, smile widening as Vincent frowned a little, his control starting to slip. “I love you.”

Vincent’s eyes went wide and his pace faltered for a moment… then his eyes squeezed closed and he was coming, thrusting so deeply into Tseng that the older man’s smirk was wiped away by the force.

Lying together and catching their breaths moments later, Tseng petted his lovers hair, even as he winced at how sore he now was. It was partly his own fault, but he really didn’t mind all that much.

“Say it again,” Vincent mumbled from where he was hiding, face first into Tseng’s neck. “Please?”

Tseng sighed, but he was still smiling.

“I love you. I’m sorry it took me so long to say it.”

Vincent hugged him so hard in response that Tseng was sure he was going to have new bruises in the oddest of places as a result.

***.***

“Ah… well,” Elena murmured, eyes on the door to Tseng’s office as the sounds from within finally ebbed away.

Reno was mirroring her own stunned expression as they stood awkwardly together at his desk, having frozen there mid-sentence when the sounds had started a few minutes ago. Maybe more than a few minutes, but neither had been counting, both caught in the extremely uncomfortable moment with nowhere to go.

“Yeah… well… glad you’re not dead,” Reno finally managed, pulling himself out of shock quicker then Elena managed.

“Thanks,” Elena replied, frowning as she shook off the awkwardness and turned to Reno, deciding to just ignore what Tseng and Vincent had obviously just been doing in the other room. “Why did you think I was dead anyway?”

“Not sure, to be honest,” Reno replied, scratching his head before a smirk grew over his face. “Totally Tseng’s call that, so you should probably go and ask him.”

Elena’s expression darkened.

“Ha fucking ha,” she muttered, saved from more of Reno’s attitude by the reappearance of Rude.

“You okay?” 

“Yeah, totally A okay,” she replied with a grin for the other Turk. “Do you know what this was all about? Like, I went out early and hadn’t recharged my phone, which okay, was irresponsible of me, but I didn’t think I’d be missed on a Saturday morning.”

“Valentine _did_ say somethin’ about Tseng being paranoid, and that he didn’t even know why Tseng was so worried when I talked ta him on the phone,” Reno cut in before Rude could reply, leaning between them to take a coffee and the bag of food Rude was holding. “Like I said, ya need to ask him. ‘Sides, he needs ta know you’re here.”

“But…,” Elena began, glancing at the door to Tseng’s office and blushing.

“What’s the problem?” Rude asked, setting Reno off into a fit of laughter. Rude glanced at him before turning back to Elena with a raised eyebrow.

“Forget it,” Elena mumbled, figuring explaining to Rude would be worse than just going to knock on the door herself. Hopefully by now they’d cleaned up and gotten decent.

***.***


	7. Chapter 7

Elena fought the urge to clear her throat, the heavy smell of incense thick in the air as she stood before Tseng’s desk, waiting for her superior to acknowledge her. Tseng looked out of place. She was so used to seeing him in his Turk uniform that this casually clothed version of him made the moment feel surreal. Knowing that Tseng had been having sex on the desk that sat between them only minutes before was even worse. The incense at least hid the smell of the act, making it easier to pretend she didn’t know.

Biting her lip, Elena shuffled a little in place, trying to push all those thoughts out of her mind, along with all the other distractions that kept trying to surface. Spending the morning with Rufus Shinra wasn’t helping. The guilt of keeping that from her superior pretty much cancelled out any amusement she’d usually foster over the fact Tseng was showing that he was only human, yet again. Well, when it came to Vincent, at least. She wasn’t naive enough to consider the man before her had any such weaknesses when it came to her.

“Elena, can you tell me why you weren’t available this morning?” Tseng finally murmured, pulling her out of her inner thoughts. His eyes slowly lifted to meet hers, intense as always.

“An oversight on my part,” she replied, using her natural reaction to Tseng’s gaze to her advantage. Blushes were impossible to fake, but the reasons for them were easy enough to mislead. “I only realized my phone was out of charge when I was already out. I’m sorry for any inconvenience I caused. Was there a reason you were looking for me this morning?”

Tseng frowned at her question, and she managed to keep her expression locked into the curious, wide eyed clueless look that she knew Tseng would expect. It was a little depressing really, how easy it was to manipulate him with her perceived obliviousness.

“I wanted to know why you came here last night, after the bar,” Tseng questioned, gaze never faltering. Luckily, Elena was used to his bluntness and slipped into a more understanding expression effortlessly.

“Oh, that was… well, after all the drama with Reno and Vincent, I just needed something to take my mind off it,” she quickly rambled, smiling a little apologetically. “My plan to get them to relax around each other didn’t go over so well, and there wasn’t really much at home to settle my thoughts, if you know what I mean, Sir.”

“I did hear from Vincent that things didn’t go well,” Tseng conceded, his eyes finally darting away from hers to stare at his closed office door, as if he could see his lover outside. “He was vague on the details though.”

“I can totally fill you in,” Elena chuckled, taking a step closer to the desk and dropping her professionalism smoothly to switch into gossip mode. “Despite it all going to hell in the moment, I think overall, there was a little progress.”

Tseng’s shoulders finally relaxed a little, even if the difference was minute.

“Please do tell,” he murmured, lips curling up on one side.

Elena took a seat and leant her elbows on the edge of the desk. The relief at how easy this had gone was momentary, any feelings of accomplishment tainted by the inner ache of betrayal. The fact he’d lied to her first didn’t take the edge off the guilt as much as she’d hoped it would.

Pushing aside all the doubts brewing in her belly, Elena plastered a grin on her face and started filling Tseng in about exactly what had gone down the night before in the bar between Vincent and Reno.

***.***

Vincent took a deep breath as he looked over the office, eyes finding Reno and sticking in place. The redhead was unaware of him at present, grinning at Rude as they discussed something unimportant. Vincent had heard the name of a new cinema release before his mind had switched off the details.

From past experience, Vincent predicted Tseng wouldn’t leave the office for hours at this point. He’d want to double check whatever Elena had to say and then probably decide they should work on something else, since they were here anyway. Vincent wanted no part of it, but if he hung around he would do doubt end up working his Saturday away… but what excuse did he have to escape?

Absentmindedly watching Reno, Vincent remembered he was supposed to be fixing the awkwardness between them, building bonds as Elena would say. Pushing down the urge to grimace at how much he hated this kind of interpersonal shit, Vincent seriously considered the issue. With Elena and Rude it’d been easy enough, they’d just clicked over time into a smooth running team, but Reno? As usual, he remained the exception to every rule.

Vincent found it kind of attractive, what a challenge Reno was, although he’d never dare to say it out loud. Tseng was weird enough when it came to Reno as it was.

Still… there had to be some way he could bridge the distance between them and normalize their interactions. Vincent tuned back in to what Reno was saying and jumped on the first idea that came to mind, wanting to be long gone before Tseng finished with Elena.

“Reno,” Vincent interrupted. He watched the redhead pause mid-sentence and turn towards him. “Today is a bust, it seems, and I wouldn’t mind seeing that film you were talking about. How about we go together?”

Reno’s surprise was clear, as was his discomfort with the invitation. His unease only made Vincent smile though, his sadistic streak tickled at the reaction. He might not be about to act on his attraction to Reno, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t play a little at the redhead’s expense. All things considered, Vincent figured he was due a little bit of self-indulgence, especially since his Saturday had been such a cock up so far. Besides, this would make Tseng a tad jealous, and Vincent was feeling particularly selfish at the moment… and maybe just a little needy. A demonstration of Tseng’s feelings to go with that declaration of love would be nice, especially since Tseng’s long overdue ‘I love you’ had been muttered in the middle of sex.

“Ah… okay?” Reno responded, looking a little lost.

“Well, get your shit together then,” Vincent murmured heading for the door. He stopped before exiting, turning back to the redhead while purposefully ignoring Rude. “Are you coming or not?”

Reno glanced at Rude for a moment, but the other man was staring at his computer, ignoring them both. Vincent judged his expression was a little too carefully blank.

“Why the fuck not,” Reno finally replied, getting up and grabbing his coat, looking annoyed at Rude’s lack of reaction. “Ya paying though, Valentine.”

“Whatever,” Vincent muttered as Reno scooted past him. He looked to Rude before closing the door, giving his co-worker a parting smirk. He didn’t miss the widening of Rude’s eyes as their gazes briefly met.

It was about time both of them realised just what they had to loose.

***.***

Elena looked at the message on her phone again, for the tenth time, her leg jiggling a little as she sipped on her latte. 

_It’s time. Send him to me._

Elena stared at the words for a time, frowning before she finally closed her phone and shoved it in her pocket. Checking the time, there was still five more minutes to wait, so her mind wandered back to what had happened at the office, even if it was the last thing she wanted to think about right now.

Tseng had ended their meeting after she’d spilled on the latest conflict between Reno and Vincent, seemingly too distracted by what she’d said to bother further with her absence earlier. 

She’d been anxious to head home finally, but when both of them had come out of his office to find Rude alone and agitated, she’d paused beside her boss at the other Turk’s desk, curious. Rude had only muttered that Reno and Vincent had gone to see a movie before asking if he was needed any further.

Seeing Tseng’s expression at that had tainted any victory she’d felt at avoiding further questioning. He’d been hurt… visibly, which was rare and something she hated having to witness. They’d all parted ways a little awkwardly then, but Elena hadn’t had much time to lament the morning’s events, as half way to her apartment she’d gotten the text from Rufus. She might have been expecting it, eventually, but not so soon.

The sudden sound of people exiting the cinema pulled her out of her musings, and she quickly concentrated on looking for familiar faces. She pasted on a smile, going for casual, even if Reno would work out that something was up no matter what tact she took. He simply knew her too well, but Elena was pretty sure he could be swayed to silence afterwards without more than a vague explanation. Vincent though… her act was solely for him in this case.

Elena stood up as the crowd started thinning out and she spotted Reno fairly easily in the stragglers, his red hair a beacon that was hard to miss. Vincent’s easy grin as he murmured something to Reno was surprising, as was Reno’s relaxed chuckle, but she pushed down her curiosity to concentrate, standing up to intercept the pair.

“Reno, Vincent,” she greeted, stopping their banter as she slid up to their side. “Seeing movies together now, all of a sudden? Anyone would think the two of you were dating.”

Reno stopped dead at her words, his face contorting through a few different expressions, confusion the most dominant, while Vincent’s just settled on one. Smugness was not what she had expected and it almost threw her off-balance.

“Elena, I didn’t peg you as the jealous type,” Vincent stated softly, one eyebrow raising as his lips twisted into a grin. “Or did Tseng just send you here to spy on us?”

Elena giggled, pulling up her best innocently amused look for her superior. It seemed Vincent wanted Tseng to be jealous which was very interesting… but now wasn’t the time to ponder why.

“No, I’m just a messenger today, Vincent,” she replied, expression turning serious. “The Vice President has requested to see you, ASAP.”

Vincent’s gaze thinned, his smile slipping away.

“Rufus Shinra wants to talk to me?”

“Yes,” she simply replied, curling her hand around Reno’s bicep as the redhead glanced between them curiously. “He didn’t say why, but his impatience was rather obvious. I wouldn’t keep him waiting, if I were you.”

The silence lengthened uncomfortably, but she continued to hold Vincent’s eyes as she studiously ignored Reno’s questioning looks. 

Eventually, Vincent shrugged, his expression twisting back into a smirk.

“Fine, I’ll bite,” Vincent muttered, meeting Elena’s eyes with a disregard that was impressive, all things considered. Intrigues and power plays could be fun sometimes, she knew from personal experience, but they never were with the higher ups in their own company. “Take care of him for me?”

Elena managed a nod back, patting Reno’s arm in mock sympathy as he started protesting over being treated like a helpless damsel. 

“Of course,” Elena inserted over Reno’s whining. “Walls up, though,” she added, silencing Reno’s protests.

Vincent was the first to move, finally nodding once before turning and striding away. Elena’s eyes were still on the door he’d exited through when Reno spoke.

“We’ve got each other’s back, remember that, yeah? Turks are family and that’s what family does.”

Elena glanced at him and was caught for a moment, unable to look away. As people continued to walk around them, ignorant of the gravity of the situation, she wished for a moment that what Reno said could be true… that somehow, they could all protect each other. It might be a naïve wish but she decided that whatever it took, she would try. 

Eventually, she managed a smile that she knew didn’t reach her eyes.

“Let’s drink to that,” she murmured as she pulled Reno towards the exit.

***.***

By the time Vincent made it back to the Shinra tower, the sun was almost gone and the sky darkening. He’d had the presence of mind to phone ahead at least, Rufus Shinra’s secretary telling him to come directly to the Vice President’s office on arrival. The unusual summons was setting off all his danger instincts, but he’d known from the moment Elena had informed him that he had no choice to refuse. 

It wasn’t helping that Tseng hadn’t called him personally and informed him of the summons, and he could only guess it was because Tseng had been more angry about Vincent’s afternoon with Reno then he’d expected. Vincent had wanted him to be jealous, after all, although he really hadn’t expected Tseng to react to this extreme. The Vice President wasn’t someone to be taken lightly, and the fact Tseng had abandoned him, not even getting Elena to pass on something about the topic of this meeting so he could prepare… it was dangerous, and it stung.

Vincent took one last deep breath to calm himself as the elevator stopped, walking out into the hall and heading towards the Vice President’s office without pause. He nodded once to the guard posted outside when he arrived before knocking on the oversized doors.

***.***

Two beers down, and Reno was going to explode if he didn’t get some answers in the next few minutes. Elena was being evasive, more so than usual. Well, usual of late anyway. Scowling, Reno watched her bring back the third round, only getting more annoyed when she avoided his glare.

“Okay, enough,” he finally muttered, watching as she froze in place. “Ya know I’m gonna ask, so just spill. What the fuck is going on? And don’t fuckin’ even try to lie to me. Everyone’s fucking lying lately and I’m done with the bullshit.”

Elena finally met his eyes after his outburst, and the depth of pure tiredness and frustration he saw made his frown deepen. It was the guilt that flashed through her expression before her gaze fell to the table top that really cut in the moment, though.

“Everything is so fucked up, Reno,” she whispered, only just audible over the background noise of the pub they were in a back corner of. Both her hands were wrapped too tightly around her beer, and she wasn’t drinking it, just staring down into the amber bubbles. “I’m doing the best I can, but you have to trust me and… well… pretend what you saw today didn’t happen.”

“You saying Tseng don’t know about this?” Reno asked incredulously, his own hands pulling out a smoke and lighting it as he tried to resist the urge to reach across the table and shake some sense into her. “To lie to Tseng… like… about Vincent to Tseng? Seriously?”

“He’ll never find out,” Elena insisted, eyes wide as they finally met his own. “Vincent will never tell him, and neither will I. You just have to plead ignorance, say you parted ways after the movie and haven’t seen him since. If he ever finds out, I’ll swear I told Vincent after you left so this will never come back on you, alright? You can do this for me, yeah?”

Reno could see nothing but desperation in her eyes. In his experience, that look was all too familiar when someone was making a shit decision… but she was his sister, his best friend. His Turk family was more important to him than any other connection he’d ever had, so when all was said and done, there was only one answer he could give.

“Okay,” he muttered, cursing under his breath as he watched Elena close her eyes and sag a little in place. “But anything else, I’m gonna need more from ya, got it? This one’s free, but any more, you spill everything or count me out.”

“Agreed,” she quickly replied, nodding and smiling before gulping down some of her beer.

Reno only sipped at his own, watching her recover her composure as his instincts screamed at him of an unspecified danger. He may have agreed, and he’d hold up his end of what he’d promised her to the letter… but that didn’t mean he was letting any of this go. 

As a friend, it was his responsibility to look out for her, and even Vincent, as a fellow Turk, fell under his care. The fact it was about both of them, more lies yet again… well, Reno might have had to cut and run over what he was looking into before because Elena had noticed what he was doing, but that didn’t mean he was beaten. It only meant that this was even worse then he’d first suspected. 

***.***

Rufus took his time studying the man before him, eyes roaming where they pleased as he used his superiority to indulge his curiosity. Valentine was attractive, bordering on the beautiful side of handsome, not that Rufus was surprised.

Tamotsu had always had good taste. He’d also always been a vain bastard, and there was more than a passing similarity between Tamotsu’s appearance and Valentine’s. Both were tall, slim, intense and dangerous. Dark hair, long limbs and pale skin. Rufus imagined them fucking, smirking a little at the thought that it almost bordered on masturbation. 

Eventually, he looked away, but let the silence lengthen further as he regained his composure. His jealousy would not be helpful here and it took him a few moments to get it under control, even if his face remained unmarked by the inner battle.

“You requested to see me, Sir?” Vincent Valentine finally asked, breaking the silence.

The impatience was interesting, something Rufus never could bring out in Tseng no matter what he did, but then again, all Turks had their different strengths. Vincent was known from old reports to be a little more fiery then Tseng, although nowhere near as bad in that respect as Reno. 

Rufus was tempted to continue to see just where this one’s limits lay now, since his time with Tamotsu. It would be helpful to have an updated profile, to know if there were left over issues, cracks Rufus could pry open and take advantage of. Valentine still looked as dangerous as all the Turks did, but there was something else that he couldn’t put his finger on, something similar to vulnerability maybe? Rufus had the growing urge to find out, but tonight was not the time for such enjoyable pursuits. 

Overall, very interesting, Rufus had to admit… but then again, that should have been obvious since both Tamotsu and Tseng were so taken with him. It was hard not to hate him on principle, all things considered. 

Rufus smirked, deciding that maybe he would poke a little, after all.

“Yes, I did,” Rufus belatedly replied, managing to sound bored, even if he was anything but. “I have something I’m considering, although, I’m still weighing up if you’re… worthy.” Rufus let his eyes wander over Vincent’s form again, taking in how tense the Turk was with the blatantly demeaning inspection. “How are you doing lately, Vincent? Mental health stable, or are you still dealing with the emotional issues of being a sex slave for so long?”

Watching Vincent’s expression morph from bored annoyance to cold stone defensiveness was fascinating, and Rufus’ heart beat picked up pace as his instincts started to prickle. Vincent’s eyes did not falter from his, the challenge clear.

“There were no mental health issues, Sir,” Valentine murmured flatly. “The mission was completed successfully and the only issues after were related to my physical health. I am now fully recovered but I hardly think my wellbeing means anything to you.”

Rufus raised an eyebrow, surprised at the attitude that slipped through with that last phrase. This was too easy, which was concerning. Still, in the present moment, it was going to make his part in this less complicated, even if it did cast doubt on Vincent’s usefulness in the future.

“You’re surprisingly easy to poke off balance, Vincent,” Rufus continued, leaning his elbows on his desk as he gazed at the other man over his joined hands, expression now serious. “If you’re going to continue to insist Tamotsu left you with no mental issues, you might want to work on toning down the attitude when it’s mentioned.”

Vincent’s eyes widened for a second, then his whole expression shuttered. The silence lengthened and Rufus let it, watching calmly to see just how long he could keep it up. After twenty minutes, he sighed, sitting back in his chair, satisfied enough for the moment. It would be fascinating to watch how this all played out, more so then he’d first thought.

“I have something for you.”

Vincent didn’t respond, so Rufus opened his desk draw and pulled out the object he’d been waiting to give the Turk.

“This key card is familiar to you, yes? It should be, considering it belongs to your department.”

Vincent stared at the card in Rufus’ hands, his eyes glued to it despite his expression still showing nothing.

“Well, do you want it, or are you going to remain oblivious to the lie your life has become?”

The worry and doubt that spread across Vincent’s expression gave Rufus such a thrill of achievement that he had to fight to keep his smile from surfacing. This was definitely not the time to show how much he was enjoying this.

“What game is this?” Vincent finally asked when Rufus offered nothing further.

“Not a game, Vincent, but an awakening,” Rufus responded, holding out the key card. “Take it, my gift to you. What you do with what you discover is up to you.”

Vincent stepped closer and took the card slowly, turning it over in his hand. It took some time as he seemingly weighed up the possible risks versus his curiosity and need the for truth. Eventually, he looked up at Rufus again.

“Why?”

Rufus had expected questions, but he hadn’t expected such a short one that did, he had to admit, pretty much cover everything. Still, he wasn’t about to make this easy.

“First you have to decide whether you will act or not. If you do decide to, I will answer all your questions. If you do not, this whole conversation never happened. Do you understand?”

Vincent’s frown deepened, while Rufus finally allowed himself to smile. They stared at each other for some time, Rufus glad he’d chosen to sit for this, until Vincent finally conceded, exhaling deeply as his eyes slipped back to the card.

“Why should I trust you or anything you’re implying? You’ve giving me a shadow of doubt and are insisting it’s valuable. It feels more like some kind of sadistic game, or a trap, then anything else.”

“I assure you, if I wanted you harmed, I have far more direct ways of achieving it. As for it being a sadistic game… well, even if it is, where would the fun be if it wasn’t about something extremely important to you? Logically, you have nothing to lose by at least taking the first step.”

Vincent didn’t reply but a few minutes later, he turned away, tucking the key card into his pocket. He paused before exiting though, one hand on the door knob as he glanced back at Rufus.

“There’s always something to lose, no matter which path we choose… even for you, Rufus Shinra.”

Rufus watched as he then disappeared, eyebrows raised in surprise, but smile only growing at the indirect threat. He did so love a challenge.

***.***


	8. Chapter 8

Tseng stared at the clock on his wall, trying to avoid the temptation to check Vincent’s whereabouts on his laptop. Yes, this kind of disappearance was the very reason he’d set up the tracking on his lover in the first place, but the guilt of all that he was doing behind Vincent’s back had pushed him to stop using it every time his paranoia flared. He’d promised himself it wasn’t needed, that trust was something he needed to learn, even if he realized he was being hypocritical, in the extreme.

Every minute that ticked by drained his resolve though, especially since every other option he could think of was unavailable. Vincent’s phone wasn’t answering, apparently turned off since he’d left the office this afternoon. Phoning any of his other Turks to enquire about Vincent’s whereabouts was impossible, thanks to this morning’s drama. He’d panicked over Elena’s absence, and if he appeared to be doing the same over Vincent, only hours later… well, what would his Turks think? Certainly, in their place, he would lose confidence in a leader who was acting so unstable.

At least, it seemed Vincent was mending bridges between himself and Reno at present. Tseng hated how it taunted his jealousy, thinking of them together. He couldn’t wipe the image of the two in the alleyway out of his mind. How they’d rutted together, pressed so close, as if they were one. How gentle Vincent had been with Reno after the redhead had passed out, carrying him back to his apartment with that small smile on his lips….

Tseng growled at the memory, pushing it away as he stood up. He may have promised himself not to use the tracking system again, but this was an exception. It was past dark now, any movie the two had gone to see well over, and sitting here was only going to result in his imagination making him angry and upset over things that probably weren’t even a possibility considering Reno was with Rude now.

Opening his laptop, Tseng turned on the tracking system and waited, his fingers tapping his desk impatiently. When it finally activated, his eyes widened in surprise.

‘System Error’ was the last thing he expected to be greeted with.

***.***

Vincent stared at the card in his hands, stock still as he stood before the Executive lift. He’d recognised immediately that this keycard wasn’t one usually used by the Turks to access the restricted levels by way of the community lifts. 

When he’d been promoted to second in command of the Turks, Tseng had filled him in on many extra things he’d been unaware of before, the Executive lift being one of them. The President, Vice President and the Executive chiefs including Tseng, had access cards like this and only they were allowed to use this private elevator. There was no security camera’s covering the lift, or the areas outside of it either.

Vincent guessed it wasn’t general access to all floors he’d been given. Considering Rufus hadn’t bothered to tell him just where this card was supposed to lead, he guessed it would only let him access one floor. But how to find what it was he was supposed to then?

Logic told him to just insert the card, enter and work it out as he went, but his natural caution had him faltering. The urge to call Tseng was almost overwhelming… but if Tseng had any intention of helping, he wouldn’t have sent Vincent into this blind in the first place. 

Exhaling deeply, Vincent finally stepped forward and ran the card through the access panel next to the lift doors. If Tseng thought he could handle this alone, he would. He could only hope whatever anger Tseng felt for Vincent’s little stunt this afternoon wasn’t strong enough for his lover to put him in any serious harm’s way as payback.

***.***

Reno had parted ways with Elena not long after agreeing to keep quiet, not feeling like over drinking, considering his past exploits in that area. He’d considered going to Rude’s to get his promised reward, only to remember he’d forgotten to do anything to earn it. Well, he had made a kind of peace with Vincent, but did that count? Both Vincent and Elena hadn’t even mentioned the previous problems with him, so he’d forgotten to apologize to them both or even talk about what had happened. Honestly, he was more than a little relieved there’d been no need for in-depth talks on feelings and all that shit, but he doubted Rude would let him off that easily. He’d insist Reno still needed to talk things out, to make sure everything was settled, and Reno really wasn’t in the mood.

All that shit with Elena was already eating at his patience, and what he wanted, more than anything else right now, was answers to what the hell was going on behind his back. There was a niggling fear that maybe Rude knew too… and as much as Reno wanted answers, he didn’t know if he could take it if his lover was in on this as well.

The whole mess just left Reno feeling conflicted and confused, so he’d headed to his own place, to try and sort out his jumbled thoughts and calm down a little. By the time he’d entered his apartment and kicked off his shoes, he was feeling less of the anger, at least, even if everything else still swirled in his mind.

“I know you’re close to Elena, but did you really have to imitate her disappearance this morning so soon?”

Reno jumped at the sudden voice, hand going for the gun he wasn’t even wearing before he flicked on the light and exhaled in relief. Rude was sitting in his lounge room, watching him with no clear expression showing.

“Fuck,” Reno muttered, glaring at his lover. “Don’t do that!” he added in complaint, walking further into the room and frowning as Rude’s expression stayed blank. “I could a shot ya if I was armed, ya dumb ass.”

“I know you’re not armed and besides, it’s not like I was hiding,” Rude retorted. “You shouldn’t let yourself get so distracted by whatever you’ve been doing all afternoon.”

“I’m not distracted,” Reno replied defensively, frowning at how serious Rude was being. “Just had shit on my mind and didn’t expect ya to be here, sitting in the dark like a fucking gargoyle.”

“I was worried. I didn’t turn on the light in case it wasn’t you who finally came in your door.”

“Why wouldn’t it have been me?” Reno asked, flopping into the sofa across from Rude. “I live here, don’t I?”

“I’ve been calling you and your phone is off.”

Reno pulled the device from his pocket, frowning and about to deny that, only to find it was turned off. “Fuck, forgot to turn it back on after the movie,” he muttered, defensiveness disappearing. “Sorry… though, ya knew where I was.”

“For this long?” Rude asked, still looking annoyed.

Reno was too relieved by the show of jealousy to get upset about it. Yeah, he knew it was more than a little fucked up, but then again, wasn’t he always?

“Went for a beer with Elena afterwards, cause didn’t get a chance to talk to her earlier, ya know?” Reno explained. Sure, he hadn’t talked to her about what he’d promised Rude he would, but he didn’t have to know that.

“Oh,” Rude replied, face finally showing some relief of the tension. “Okay then, sorry to overreact. I was worried though, especially since Tseng is looking for you.”

“Fuck, what the hell is his problem today?” Reno whined, rolling his eyes. “Next thing he’ll be sticking chips in us all so he knows where we are at all hours, the paranoid fucker.”

“Funny you should say that,” Rude murmured, finally showing a smirk, even if it gave Reno no comfort considering the context. 

“Don’t tell me Valentine is missing now too,” Reno asked, looking pained. His expression may have been easy enough to play off as pure frustration after this morning’s fiasco, but in reality Reno had been hoping the mess he made of the video storage and security log in systems wouldn’t be discovered until Monday. The normal surface security systems wouldn’t be affected after all, and all the camera’s would still be recording and showing normal operational status, even if nothing was being stored from what they captured. He’d completely forgotten that Tseng’s little personal tracking system of Valentine ran off the same server as the storage systems though. 

“Bingo, plus the security storage systems at work are down as well. You might want to put on your uniform.”

“Better be gettin’ overtime for this shit,” Reno growled as he got up, turning on his phone and hitting Tseng’s number. He could only hope Valentine had just forgotten to turn on his phone too, and nothing had happened to him, considering just where he’d gone after parting ways with Reno.

***.***

Tamotsu glared out of his cell, able to hear someone out there in the dark, breathing heavily… which was just creepy. Maybe his ghostly visitor wasn’t as harmless as he’d assumed, since it sounded like he was enjoying himself this time.

“Honestly, so many visitors in one day,” he muttered, turning his eyes back to the book on his lap as he tried to ignore the sounds. “Entertainment must be sub-par in Midgar for a man in a cell to be of so much interest.”

The sudden sound of a sob from the mystery visitor had him looking up again, frown increasing as he listened. It was oddly relieving to know whoever was out there was upset rather than excited. 

“Is the sight of me really so tragic?” Tamotsu added, one eyebrow raising as his frown twisted into a smirk. “If it upsets you so, maybe releasing me would make you feel better. I’ve been in here so long by now that even the sun is a distant memory. I would so like to see it again.”

Moments later there were the sounds of stumbling footsteps disappearing into the distance, taking those strangled sobs with them as whoever had been there disappeared. Tamotsu stared after them into the darkness, trying to make sense of it all.

He’d been here long enough to know his Turk jailors always came down the main elevator, the lights turning on in the hall as they entered. Usually it was only the young lady he saw, once a day as she brought him his meal, but every now and then the leader, Tseng, would drop by. 

Tseng mostly just stared at him, although sometimes he would taunt him with a few chosen phrases. Tamotsu had tired of that rather quickly, so if he heard someone coming away from meal times now, he’d simply pretend to be asleep to avoid any confrontation with the man. It was obvious, to him at least, that the other had a particular bone to pick with him, probably over Arashi… or Vincent Valentine, he should say. Tamotsu couldn’t help but smile, even if the memory of the other man was bitter sweet. He wondered, many times, if the other ever thought of him and smiled too.

Sighing, Tamotsu pushed thoughts of Vincent aside, saving them for the long nights where he could enjoy them without interruption. He let his mind instead drift back to the other visitor, who always entered a different way. No lights ever came on for him, and he approached from the opposite direction down deeper in the depths of this underground prison. Usually, there was no sound, apart from the quite steps of approach or departing. Yesterday there’d been that one phrase…. 

_“You are anything but helpless… even now.”_

Pushing aside his own upset over not recognising the voice at the time, Tamotsu tried to imagine for the hundredth time who it could be, this mystery once a week visitor. It was only then he realised that today’s visit threw the whole pattern off, the second in the same week. 

Had something happened? There’d definitely been crying and he wondered if it had anything to do with Tseng dropping in this morning as well, glaring over his form as he pretended to sleep before walking away. His dinner was late too, still having not arrived, which was rare.

As much as his curiosity burned, there was little more than his imagination to work with, although it was nice to have a little intrigue to wonder over. It certainly broke up the endless boredom of being here some… and maybe if there was something happening, it involved Toki and his eventual release from this accursed place.

Well, one could only hope.

***.***

Elena wasn’t sure what she should do. It was past time for her to take their prisoner his evening meal, but with Vincent going to see Rufus, should she still do so?

She’d been dragging her feet about leaving her apartment for the last half an hour, weighing up what to do and getting nowhere. If she didn’t go, Tseng would know something was up and she’d be suspected immediately of being involved if Tamotsu disappeared tonight. But would that even happen? She knew Rufus wanted the man, but not what for, or if he even planned on breaking him out of the cell. And then there was Vincent to consider, finally being told Tamotsu was alive and just sitting down there this whole time, floors below him. Would he try and rescue the prisoner, or would he try to hurt him in revenge for everything that occurred?

She wasn’t even sure about Vincent’s true feelings towards Tamotsu anymore, little lone what he’d do when he found out. Walking into the middle of all of this seemed like the worst possible idea, but what other choice did she have?

“Fuck you, Rufus Shinra,” she muttered to herself, finally pulling on her coat and grabbing her keys. Even as she left her apartment though, she knew this was her own fault. She should have asked when she was there this morning, but she’d had no idea this would all happen so fast. She didn’t want to contact Rufus to ask, figuring doing so would only implicate her further if the Vice President’s involvement was discovered by Tseng. It wasn’t like Rufus needed to worry after all. Even if he was discovered, his position would protect him. She did not have that luxury.

She was in the elevator when her phone started ringing, luckily alone as she jumped at the sound, startled and far too on edge. Breathing in deeply, she pulled the device out, eyes widening at the sight of just who was calling.

“Goddess, protect me,” she mumbled, answering the call.

***.***

Rufus was bored. Phone in one hand, he rubbed his wet hair with a towel with the other, wandering into his bedroom as he waited for an update. Nothing so far, but surely soon there’d be something?

Dropping the towel onto the floor, he brought the device up to eye level, checking again impatiently. Surely Valentine would bite. Everything pointed to Tamotsu being important enough to him to warrant such a conclusion, so what exactly was taking so long?

Rufus was pondering calling his contact to find out exactly what was taking so long when suddenly something hit him from behind, throwing him onto his bed, face first. He lost the phone in the impact, his hands gripping the sheets as he tried to push back and get some air.

“Answers,” a voice hissed in his ear, but just when the lack of air started to make him panic, his hair was grasped and his head pulled back harshly. The cold feel of steel on his neck made the Vice President freeze, gasping in breaths as he stilled and tried to focus on the immediate danger.

“I chose to act. You promised answers,” the voice continued, barely more than a growl as the steel against his throat pressed too tightly, the sting of a blade registering in Rufus’ startled mind. “Speak or cease to be.”

“Vincent,” Rufus managed, stilling under the Turk’s hold as his brain finally clicked in and recognized the voice. “There is no need for this. I am not the one who has been deceiving you. I am just the deliverer of truth.”

The chuckle from behind him was far from comforting and the knife at his neck did not move away.

“Playing the angel does not suit you, Rufus. What is in any of this for you?” Valentine muttered.

The blond ignored the discomfort of the stretched position, holding as still as possible in the uncomfortable bend backwards.

“I just want him free and unharmed,” Rufus admitted, wondering where the hell his so called protector was as he tried to stall the killer on top of him. “He doesn’t deserve to be nothing but bait, even if Tseng thinks he does.”

The knife eased its press into his throat, but it still hovered there, a flinch away from ending him.

“Tseng… does he know you sent for me?”

“No. I sent Elena directly to you. He knows nothing of what has passed between us today,” Rufus admitted, swallowing down his fear as his mind clicked into overdrive. “She was lied to as well, and as a result, wanted you to know the truth. We all have a common goal here, and have all been lied to by the same person. I am not your enemy.”

Vincent sucked in a breath, his hands tightening on Rufus before they relaxed some. The blond breathed in deeply himself, ignoring the sting from his hair still being gripped so tightly, the bent back position starting to ache through his body.

“There is no need for this. Let me go and I’ll answer anything you ask. I already told you this earlier today.”

Minutes ticked by with no movement, but then, finally, Valentine released him. Rufus fell forward into his bed, staying still for a moment as he gathered his wits and waited for Vincent to move off of him. The Turk did eventually move off his back, but he didn’t go far, settling next to him on the bed.

“Talk… my patience is thin.”

“Obviously,” Rufus muttered, pushing himself up enough to turn and glare at the other man. Vincent still held the knife in his hand, staring at it as if disappointed at not being able to use it. Rufus pushed that thought away as he pulled himself into a sitting position. He’d known there'd been a risk in throwing this at the Turk before him, but he hadn’t guessed the reaction would be this severe.

“Our goals in relation to Tamotsu are the same. When I discovered he was in the Turk cells, and only Tseng and Elena were aware of it, I assumed we could work together to achieve the common goal of his release,” Rufus explained, running a hand through his hair as he tried to push down how vulnerable he felt right now, half dressed and over powered as he was. “At first I thought you knew too, but on further investigation, I discovered you did not know.”

“How is it you know so much?” Valentine demanded.

“That would be because of me.”

Vincent turned quickly at the new voice, eyes widening as they found the source.

“Your dramatic arrivals are starting to annoy me,” Rufus muttered, glaring at the man now leaning on the frame of his bedroom door so casually.

“Now, now, Rufus, there’s no need to get pissy. I knew you could handle things this far, at least,” Veld retorted, grin breaking out as he gazed at them both.

***.***


	9. Chapter 9

Elena walked out of the elevator slowly, anxiety twisting her stomach into knots as she stared at the meal she was holding. It looked no different from usual; a little bland, but nutritious. 

She still stared at it as if it was poison.

For all she knew, maybe it was.

Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment she chastised herself, inner voice harsh and cutting until her resolve solidified, her back straightening as her eyes opened. She started walking forward in time with the lights flickering on, her expression smoothing out into its usual professional state of friendly disinterest.

As Tamotsu came into sight, eyes alert as they studied her arrival, the small corner of her heart that felt pity for him wailed.

“My lady. I see it is dinner time.”

She nodded back as she knelt down and unlocked the little door at the bottom of the bars, pushing the tray through to him before locking it once more. Moving back to sit on the chair in the hall, she waited for him to take it.

Tamotsu did not move.

The seconds turned into minutes, Elena’s resolve faltering, but she somehow kept her outer appearance unmoved. Sweat began to bead on the back of her neck, under her hair, but she ignored it as it ran down under her shirt, eyes on the tray of food on the floor.

_Take it, take it, take it, take it…._

Suddenly she remembered the usual script, and her own diversion from it. Her mind skittered back to what she’d learned about the phycology of long term confinement, how important routine became to their equilibrium. Realizing her error, she chanced a glance at Tamotsu. He caught her eyes with his own far too easily.

“How are you this evening?” Elena managed to push out, seeing the suspicion growing in her charge’s expression.

“I am well.” Tamotsu broke their locked gazes then, looking down at the food as one of his hands clenched. “Hopefully, I will continue to be so.”

The last part made her flinch, but he wasn’t looking at her any more. He was moving, picking up the tray and settling on his bed to eat, expression turned resigned.

Elena dug her fingernails into her palms, her hands curled into fists in her lap, watching him eat. It seemed to take longer than usual, but finally he finished, returning the tray to his side of the little door and sitting back on his bed.

She retrieved it, locked the door and stood up, glancing over for only a moment but he wasn’t looking back at her. His eyes were on his hands, resting in his lap, open and palms up.

“Thank you, my lady.”

Elena nodded and walked away quickly, her eyes on the elevator in the distance as she pushed down hard on the sympathy trying to rise up from her chest and choke her. 

“What hides in the dark is never as dangerous as what approaches head on in the light,” Tamotsu muttered, his words audible over her footsteps even if the distance made them faint. They were already beginning to sound a little slurred. “The ones in the dark at least fear you enough to attempt to catch you unaware.”

By the time the elevator doors closed, Elena’s fingernails had drawn blood on her palms.

***.***

“Does he know you’re not dead?”

Valentine’s question wasn’t much more than a mumble, but Rufus still flinched. It wasn’t from the sudden sound, but more the words themselves. Rufus glanced at Veld, curious to whether he’d tell the truth.

“He does. We meet up occasionally to chat. I’m very proud of the Turk he’s become, even if I don’t approve of his current weakness,” Veld replied

“And what do you see as his current weakness?” Valentine asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“You, of course.”

Rufus frowned at Veld, thinking it counter-productive to rile up somebody they needed cooperative, although a glance at Valentine showed no visible reaction. He was still staring at the carpet beneath his feet as if nothing had been said at all but Rufus could feel the tension in the room nevertheless. 

When Rufus’ phone beeped with an incoming message, it was a welcome interruption. He exhaled in relief when he saw it was from Elena.

_Done._

“Good news?” Veld asked as he pushed off the wall he’d been leaning against, a half smile on his lips.

“Elena did as instructed,” Rufus replied flatly, his temper twitching at Veld’s sadistic amusement, but he kept his displeasure to himself. 

Vincent looked up, but it was Veld his eyes went for and stuck to. Rufus couldn’t help but be a little annoyed at the continued disregard of his presence.

“Good. You clear on the next move?”

“Crystal,” Rufus muttered, standing and slipping on his coat.

“Valentine?” Veld asked, looking over to the side where the Turk was watching him.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

Rufus put aside all thoughts of the Turks personal clashes for now, as he’d waited too long for this to let any distraction take precedence. It was finally time for everything he’d been planning to fall into place. The thought was enough for him to pull up a small smile as he led the two out of the room and towards the Executive lift.

***.***

Reno pretended to concentrate on his laptop as it ran the first diagnostic but his eyes kept flicking over to Tseng, staring out one of the windows on the other side of the office. Their leader was still, expression blank, but there was a slight tremble to every breath, like a hunter ready to strike, held still too long. It was disturbingly similar to the way he’d been in Costa Sol that morning, all those years ago, when Reno had found him with a gun in hand, staring out at the tourists below.

“How long this gonna take?” Rude muttered softly, leaning over Reno’s shoulder.

“Hour at least for each system affected,” Reno mumbled, refocusing back on his screen. “Looks like it’s just the two down, but once I know what kind of virus it is, purging it shouldn't be too hard.”

“You already know it's a virus and not just a system failure?” Rude whispered, making Reno stiffen before he realised it was a question, not an accusation.

“Yeah, course,” he hissed a little defensively, glaring at his partner over his shoulder. “It's obvious. A real system failure would of affected a larger number of servers.”

Rude smirked, and Reno had no idea whether it was because he knew more than he was letting on, or if it was just Rude doing that sappy being proud thing he did sometimes... either way Reno couldn't control the reddening of his cheeks in reaction.

“Shut up,” he muttered, turning away to stare back at his computer screen defensively. When a hand landed on his shoulder he flinched a little, but Rude just squeezed softly in silent support before walking back to his own desk and picking up his phone. Reno assumed he was trying Vincent’s number, yet again.

If Vincent didn’t turn up soon, Reno didn’t know what he was going to do. He’d promised Elena not to speak of Valentine going to see Rufus, but how could he keep that promise if something had happened to the other man in the process? Reno wanted to protect Elena, but if doing so meant sacrificing Valentine… well, he was closer to her, but still, Vincent was family and Reno honestly didn’t think Tseng’s sanity could stand losing the other, especially if it was without a trace of how or why, as things stood now. If Tseng lost his shit, they’d all go down with him anyway.

Reno was so lost in his spiralling thoughts that when the main office door opened suddenly, he jumped a little, eyes darting to it in surprise.

“Reporting for duty,” Elena announced in greeting, sending a small smile in Reno’s direction.

Reno frowned at her clueless expression, but before he could even get out a word, Tseng was speaking.

“Elena, my office now,” Tseng commanded, turning and striding towards it without even sparing her a glance. She looked a little startled by his request, watching him go for a moment before she jerked into movement, following him. 

When the door shut behind them both, Reno risked a glance at Rude and found his lover staring at him. Shrugging, he turned back to stare at his monitor, trying to ignore the urge to help her. His ears strained to hear if there was any raised voices but he could hear nothing. It was only moments before he was up, walking over to the door and pressing his ear to it. He studiously ignored Rude’s disapproving gaze in favour of trying to hear what was going inside.

***.***

Veld frowned, his body twitching with the urge to move but he held it in check. Rufus was still beside him, but the youth radiated nervous impatience so much that Veld had an arm out in front of him, to be sure he also stayed back. The camera’s recording the cell block should all still be harmless with their servers down, but considering who this particular prisoner was, there was always a chance Tseng had some kind of solo surveillance system set up. Neither of them could afford to be seen, the very reason he’d suggested using Valentine for this in the first place.

Vincent had seemed capable, only having to go down the hall and into the cell to pick up the unconscious target, and it’d gone fine until he’d finally looked straight at the other man's face.

Feeling a tug on his sleeve, Veld glanced at Rufus and saw the blond point to his wristwatch, expression darkening. Sighing, Veld had to agree. Their window of opportunity was unknown exactly, and prolonging this was only asking to fail.

“Vincent,” Veld hissed in little more than a whisper.

It seemed to work, jolting Valentine into movement. Veld saw him breathe in deeply before gently manoeuvring their target into his arms and picking him up bridal style. Once out of the cell, Valentine headed straight for them without further delay.

Veld exhaled in relief as they passed him, his urge to demand Valentine get a grip on his emotions pushed down for now. He turned just in time to see Rufus reach out and grab one of their target’s hands, Vincent stopping at the movement, but only to stare at the blond blankly.

Veld didn’t miss the flush of Rufus’ cheeks, the youth looking as if he’d moved on instinct and without thought. The defensive sneer that worked its way across Rufus’ face soon after was all Shinra though.

“Just checking for a pulse, something you should have done,” Rufus hissed, hand moving down to the target’s wrist.

Veld almost rolled his eyes, but somehow withheld the urge. Honestly, he was surrounded by children who all needed to grow the fuck up.

Vincent still didn’t react, outwardly at least. Veld had to admit the kid had a great poker face, his expression never changing, even when he’d frozen in the cell. Right now he was just staring at Rufus, who was finally letting go of their target and looking more than a little awkward over the whole incident.

“Save this shit until we get to the safe house,” Veld muttered softly as he passed them both, stepping into the Executive elevator that was waiting for them. Rufus followed him in, moving next to the controls before Vincent entered carefully, eyes on their target as he made sure not to knock any of him against the walls. The gentleness he was displaying was worrisome, especially considering what was yet to come.

Taking another deep breath, Veld put aside his concerns for later, closing his eyes for a moment to reset his calm. It was going to be a long night.

***.***

Elena stood stiffly, nervous but not panicking yet. Tseng had called her earlier, while she was on her way to feed Tamotsu, and he’d instructed her to complete that task before coming here but said nothing of why or what was going on. The fact his call had come straight after Rufus Shinra’s had rattled her at the time, but it’d only let everything she had to do slip into place all the more snuggly.

The sudden demand to go to Tseng’s office followed by this silence wasn’t filling her with confidence at the moment though. Tseng had simply taken up residence by the window and it didn’t bode well, to say the least. She had no idea why everyone was in the office yet and what the situation was, but it wasn’t good if Reno and Rude’s expressions outside was anything to go by.

“The last time we talked,” Tseng began, still staring out the window like some kind of beautiful gargoyle. “… there were some things I did not clarify with you. I’d like to rectify that error now.”

Elena bit her tongue, not liking where this was going one bit.

“You said you were here on Friday night to take your mind off of what happened in the bar, but you never did say exactly what you were working on,” Tseng continued, finally turning to look at her. “I’d like to know.”

“It was just the monthly budget write up for the executive meeting. I know it’s not due for a little over a week, but it was monotonous busy work, which was exactly what I was looking for to take my mind off things,” Elena explained, trying to control the urge to ramble nervously. “I worked on it until I got too tired to focus and knocked my glass of water over. That’s when I decided to go home. Well, after I cleaned up my mess.”

“What did you need your USB drive for?” Tseng added, tone almost casual. 

Elena inhaled sharply in surprise at the question before she could stop herself, and from how icy Tseng’s expression turned, it was obvious he noticed. This was going downhill fast and she had to find some way to divert the flow.

“Sir, is there a problem? All these questions and all of us being called in,” she began, trying to lighten the mood, remind him they were family, not enemies. “Did something happen?”

“Answer the question,” Tseng demanded flatly.

“I just noticed some errors, and since it was so late, I downloaded the files to take them home. I was planning on correcting it over the weekend,” she lied, her fake expression of offence at his tone not so hard to pull up considering the instant suspicion. “What is it exactly you think I was doing?”

“Downloading a virus onto the system to knock out particular servers,” Tseng replied, voice cold and casually confident. “What I don’t know is why, although Vincent’s recent disappearance seems to be connected, considering his tracking chip’s program ran through one of them. Also, how exactly have you been getting around the building without your security card?”

“W-what?” Elena stuttered, eyes wide. Her shock was not faked, not in the slightest. This wasn’t the truth, it was so much worse than the truth. 

Tseng pulled out a small card from his desk draw, holding it up so she could see her own face staring back at her from its surface. 

“I found this out in the hall, during your own disappearance this morning. I thought it strange that it was up a ways, in the opposite direction to the lifts. There was no reason for you to be going that way, after all.” Tseng threw the card on his desk, before reaching into his draw to pull out his backup firearm, taking his time in clicking off the safety and pointing it at her. “Who are you working for and where is Vincent?”

***.***


	10. Chapter 10

Tseng is so focused on Elena that he doesn’t even notice the door open, although the startled yelp she makes when Reno pushes her behind himself does yank him out of his singular focus, eyes going wide as the redhead waves his arms about in a disturbingly erratic fashion.

“No, no, no!” Reno shouts, making Tseng flinch with the sheer volume. “This is not… it’s not what you think it is and you need to stop now!”

Tseng frowns, his forehead crinkling as his eyes almost close in discomfort, his thoughts a muddled mess of _why, what, how is he here?_

“Tseng,” Reno begins, volume down but it soon rises again when Tseng doesn’t move, his gun still up and as steady as ever. “Tseng! She has not betrayed you!”

Eyes darting around, Tseng takes in them all quickly. Reno is pink in the face, eyes wide and hands still up… but still now as he awaits a response. Elena is mostly out of sight, but her eyes can just be seen over the top of the redhead’s shoulder, watching and as wide open as Reno’s. Rude is in the doorway, his eyes flicking from Elena and Reno, then to Tseng, then back again as if he can’t decide which to rest on. Rude doesn’t react otherwise, but his tense form is a sure sign that’s only because he doesn’t know what’s going on and just who he should be protecting in this sudden mess of conflict.

All three of them… the looks on all three of their faces wound Tseng on a level he was not prepared for. Yes, he meant to scare Elena, but only into the truth. Her betrayal was the only conclusion he could come to, and what he really wanted, more than anything, was for her to prove him wrong.

“Explain,” Tseng finally manages to push out after too long, his hand slowly lowering. Reno’s eyes are on the weapon, and he slowly exhales in time with Tseng’s arm going down.

“She was protecting me, not… not whatever you think she was doin’,” Reno blurts out, his own hands staying up despite Tseng’s gun pointing at the floor now. “You and her, keeping secrets and shit… did ya honestly think I wouldn’t notice and nose about?”

Tseng’s head is starting to ache, he’s frowning so hard, but his lips remain a straight, stiff line. Through the panic and emotional turmoil inside of himself, he starts to see his error… his assumptions that have built over the time his lover has been gone. It hasn’t been long, not in hours, but it feels like days already.

“You discovered Tamotsu?” Tseng whispers, eyes on Reno, studying every twitch.

“Tom… what?!” Reno blurts out, his arms finally lowering as the colour drains out of his face. “Fuck, it’s him down there?”

The silence in the room lengthens, the tension only growing. Tseng is staring at Reno as he watches the redhead work the answers through his mind, connecting the dots with the questions he’s obviously been running over for too long.

“Fuck,” Reno finally mutters, his expression morphing into pity. It’s the last thing Tseng wants to see, especially from one of his own. “Fuck, Tseng, what the hell?” he adds in little more than a whisper.

Tseng is already turning away before Reno finishes speaking, turning his back on them all. 

“I had no other choice,” Tseng replies, flat and cold. “We needed bait, and Vincent would never have accepted him as that… it was better he mourn then, than later.”

“Fucking better for you, ass-…,” Reno growls, before his voice cuts off suddenly.

Tseng turns, defensive reflex overtaking his shame, only to find Rude is now in front of Reno, his back to Tseng effectively blocking any view of the redhead. Elena has stepped to one side, but the look she is giving him only cuts Tseng further. Her eyes show so much disappointment, but as he meets her gaze he’s surprised by the lack of anger because he knows he lied to her too.

Reno and Rude are whispering to each other, Reno agitated while Rude is seemingly trying to soothe, but Tseng has no attention for their squabble, even if it is centred on him. Elena’s expression suddenly falls to guilt and her eyes dart away. Tseng’s stomach drops like a led weight.

“What did you do?”

Tseng’s question is barely more than a whisper, but it effectively silences Rude and Reno as both turn to look first at Tseng, and then at Elena who is still staring at the floor. Tseng’s hand tightens on the gun still in his hand, but he doesn’t lift it, his own guilt weighing down his arm and keeping it in place.

“You should have been honest with me,” Elena murmurs, eyes flicking up to the side, but avoiding all of the others in the room with her. “If I’d known the truth, I could have… could have… I don’t know. Done something? Avoided being fucking blindsided, for a start.” She suddenly turns, meeting Tseng’s glare and matching it as her teeth grit together. “You left me unaware and open to his manipulations. As much as I am a Turk, he still outranks you. I had no choice!”

“Who?!” Tseng demands, too loud. Elena doesn’t even flinch.

“Rufus fucking Shinra,” she growls out, turning away as her arms come up to fold across her chest.

Tseng’s anger switches to shock so quickly that he audibly inhales, the air catching in his throat. _What the hell does Rufus Shinra have to do with any of this?_ his mind screams, but he can’t push out the question.

“Whoa, whoa, Rufus Shinra is involved with Tamotsu _how_?” Reno demands, pushing past Rude who is presently too confused to stop him. “Elena, what the hell?!”

“He knocked me out and I woke up in his fucking room this morning!” Elena shouts, turning on Reno in a fit of frustrated anger. “He knew everything, about Tamotsu, about Vincent and Tseng… he even knew you’d been looking into shit and almost worked out who Tseng was holding! He knew Tseng had lied to me and … and….” Her tirade ends suddenly, her expression twisting into pain. “He was only interested in getting Tamotsu, not Vincent. I didn’t think he’d….”

Her sentence dies, much like Tseng’s small hope that this wasn’t all he feared come to pass. Well, even he hadn’t guessed a Shinra would be in the mix, making things so much worse.

“The cinema,” Reno murmurs, and Tseng can only stare as it all plays out before him, trying to connect the sudden flood of information. All he wants is Vincent back, and it’s the thread he clings to amongst the whole shit storm happening around him.

“Cinema?” Rude inserts, reaching out to grab Reno’s arm. “You went with Vincent this morning… what happened?”

“Elena happened,” Reno mutters.

“He just wanted to talk to him. I didn’t think for a minute he was any risk to Vincent!” Elena insists, imploring gaze on Reno alone. Tseng is oddly thankful to be forgotten for the moment. 

“Fuck, Elena,” Reno groans out, hands coming up to rub over his face. “Shinra are always a threat, to fucking everyone.”

“I know!” Elena insists, scowling as she continues. “But I thought he was just setting up some kind of distraction, to send the rest of us on so he could take Tamotsu. I swear, if I’d thought Vincent was in any kind of direct danger I would have never cooperated at all!”

“And you were prepared to give him our only link to Toki, why?” Tseng cuts in before Reno can say anything further. The room falls silent at his question, but as he watches Elena, she looks up and meets his eyes, taking a few breaths before straightening up.

“He knew we’d lied about Tamotsu and Toki being dead. He hadn’t passed on that information to the President, yet. I was prepared to sacrifice Tamotsu to protect all of us.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me,” Tseng demands, even if he knows he has no right to.

“Honestly… because I wasn’t certain you’d do the same. Not with him, not when all of this is too personal to you. Maybe you would have, but what if it meant Vincent finally found out the truth? You’d do anything to prevent that and I didn’t know that if it came down to a choice between the two, which you’d….” 

“Of course he’d pick us,” Reno interrupts, even if it is just a whisper, but it isn’t as confident as Tseng would like it to be. “Tseng would never let us die… like fuck, what would the point be of saving his relationship with Valentine if we all ended up dead anyway.”

“It wouldn’t be us all,” Elena responds flatly. Tseng’s already closing his eyes, because he knows what she’s about to say. “The President would grant a pass to Vincent, as he’d officially taken out two of the circle. Rude too, for taking out the third. Tseng would survive, as the director he’s too valuable and three out of the four original targets was enough to call the mission a partial success.”

“So that leaves you and me,” Reno drawls, sounding far too casual for the subject matter.

“We missed two. One target was unknown, so he might have only called for one sacrifice as punishment. Then again, we lied to him about it for years, so he could very well insist on both. I couldn’t trust Tseng would choose loosing Vincent over me and you.”

“You honestly think I would have?” Tseng asks, his own mask slipping as he looks over at Elena, a little desperately. He knows her assumptions are logical, and he’s done nothing to make her believe she’s as valuable as he really thinks she is. They’ve all seen how he is when it comes to Vincent, how single minded he can be… how desperate and unstable. It doesn’t make it any less painful.

“I wasn’t sure,” Elena admits, and even though she holds his gaze strongly, her expression does soften a little. “I wanted it to be true… but I wasn’t willing to bet my life on it.”

***.***

The drive is long, but Vincent barely notices. His eyes are stuck on Tamotsu, watching every rise and fall of his breath, every twitch of his skin. Even if it is dark in the back of the car, the passing streetlights illuminate enough, even if only in flashes. A part of him still can’t believe this is real, and the feeling that if he looks away he might wake up, is just too terrifying.

“You are too willing to spoil your Turks.”

The voice jolts Vincent out of his daze, and he glances up enough to see that neither the Vice President or Veld is paying him any attention. Veld’s eyes are on the road as he drives, and Rufus is staring out the window from the front passenger seat, arms crossed across his chest.

“He is not _my_ Turk,” Veld responds, far too casually.

Vincent is not surprised by the older man’s words. From the moment they met there’s been something that isn’t right, an animosity that Veld hasn't bothered to hide. It’s an added danger, Vincent knows, as there is no automatic comradery that usually is present between Turks, whether still serving or not. Vincent also realises there can only be one reason for it. 

_Tseng…_

Vincent has been trying so hard not to think about Tseng at all, but now, in the silence of the back seat, thoughts of him rush in and drown Vincent’s mind. He almost whimpers out loud as his mind imagines what this is going to do to Tseng, to their relationship. The possibility he may have just killed the most important thing he’s ever had is too much to take amongst all of his feelings for Tamotsu, lying propped against his chest now and completely vulnerable. Instead he forces all thoughts of Tseng away once more and goes back to watching Tamotsu, narrowing his thoughts to only what he sees and hears in the car.

“He belongs to your most treasured Turk though… is so very important to him that he may just kill you for real this time for taking him away,” Rufus murmurs, breaking the silence once more. It’s odd, this poking away as if looking for a weakness to worry in Veld’s armour, but it’s the same treatment he gave to Vincent on their first meeting, so not a total surprise. Vincent wonders if anything Rufus says ever comes out barb free.

“Child, do not speak of what you can never understand,” Veld replies, tone light and unconcerned.

“You know me far less than you think, Turk.”

The two in the front say no more, and Vincent goes back to his ponderation of Tamotsu, letting their conversation slip away. The singular focus on his once dead lover is comforting and somehow peaceful. Even when the street lights fade away, and only darkness fills the car, he still doesn’t look away.

***.***

Tseng is sitting behind his desk, coffee slowly cooling in the mug he’s gripping too tightly. Reno and Elena sit in the two chairs on the other side, both holding their own cup, while Rude stands off to one side, watching them all.

Tseng knows he should say something to try to fix this… but nothing he can think of seems to be enough.

“Sir?”

Tseng looks up, and it’s Rude looking back, eyes attentive. Tseng wishes the other Turk’s usually annoying sunglasses were present now, as there’s too much being said in his eyes. Tseng can’t hold Rude’s gaze and looks back to his coffee, trying to work out how things fell this far, how the trust and oneness of his Turks has dissolved into this mess of distrust and subterfuge… and he knows the blame lies squarely on his shoulders.

“Sir, this needs to end now.”

Tseng’s head jerks up, meeting Rude’s eyes again. He knows his own are too wide, too telling, but he can’t find the strength to hide anything right now.

“We need to come clean. All of us,” Rude mutters. 

In his peripheral vision, Tseng can see Reno and Elena turning to Rude too, looking at him as surprised as Tseng is himself, but nobody says a word in argument.

“We are still the Turks, and we’re not lost yet. There’s been too many lies, with the intent to protect. It needs to stop, now.”

***.***

Tamotsu wakes slowly, the sound of birds singing in the distance enough of an anomaly to pull him from the thick fog of sleep. It’s hard, his body sluggish and resisting, but the sweet songs are persistent and he hasn’t heard them in so very long. He eventually gains enough awareness to realise waking up shouldn’t be this difficult, but any further epiphanies seem unimportant, especially when he is so warm and comfortable. 

Shifting a little, he finally realises that most of the warmth is not his own, and he is not alone. The shock of that is enough to jolt his consciousness into sudden sharpness as his arms flail out awkwardly in panic.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay,” a sudden voice soothes, the body against him moving as his limbs are gripped, firm yet gentle. “You’re safe, Tamotsu.”

That voice… he knows it, yet he knows it can’t be real. A dream then, of a time passed by, as painful as it is treasured.

“Arashi,” Tamotsu manages, although his tongue is so thick it’s barely audible. He hears a deep chuckle in response, too short and painfully forced out, and it’s like being slapped even if he wants nothing more than for it to continue. “Hold me?” he pleads, wanting to extend the dream, revel in its comfort for as long as possible.

His wrists are released and then there are warm arms around him, pulling him into a much missed embrace. Tamotsu presses into the warmth, breathing in deeply, revelling in the scent of his precious pet. It’s been so long, and he’s a little surprised it’s such a vivid memory after all these years… the scent and feel of his Arashi against him so calming.

“I’ve missed you so much.”

The words are whispered, so soft, but accompanied with a gentle squeeze that has Tamotsu grinning self-indulgently. His love is always so sweet… but then the words register properly in his mind and the incongruity with this being a dream becomes apparent.

“Missed?” Tamotsu mumbles, face still pressed into soft skin that he’s tempted to lick at. Pushing aside such thoughts, he instead sticks to the anomaly. “My love, has it been so long?”

There is a deep sigh from his lost lover, hands rubbing circles on Tamotsu’s back that are as comforting as they are distracting.

“Too long,” Arashi mutters, and Tamotsu is smiling, quite willing to fall back into the illusion until his lover speaks again. “I thought you were dead a-and….” Arashi’s voice cracks, a shiver running through his form that Tamotsu can’t ignore. 

“Am I not?” Tamotsu whispers, not wanting to open his eyes for fear of what he’ll find. “Although, if I were, this would be heaven, and I do not think that would be where I would end up.”

His own argument makes him frown, and with no response from his lover, he finds he has no choice but to open his eyes and let reality clear the confusion.

Tamotsu does not expect to see what he does though. Arashi is looking at him with so much pained affection… and as he reaches up to stroke his lover’s hair, it’s impossible not to notice that it is short once more, as it was when they first met, all those years ago.

“You’re not a dream,” Tamotsu murmurs softly, in awe as his fingers twine through Arashi’s messy locks. No, not Arashi. Vincent. Vincent Valentine. “Vincent Valentine,” he whispers out loud, trying to make his mind accept the name, swallow it down and make it stick. “Still so beautiful.”

Vincent’s face pinks, his eyes widening and getting glassy, and Tamotsu can do nothing but smile wider, so enamoured with this man and his adorable reactions. The confusion is still pulling at his mind, but he ignores it in favour of staring at his once pet, drinking in one of his very favourite sights.

“You’re too charming for your own good,” Vincent finally mumbles, eyes darting around Tamotsu’s face, as if he wants to look away but can’t bring himself to. “Gods…,” he continues, his own hands tightening around Tamotsu’s waist. “I can’t believe you’re real. You’re here and I still can’t….”

As Vincent’s eyes spill fourth tears, the Turk closes them tightly, arms loosening as if he’s about to pull away, but Tamotsu will have none of it, pulling him closer and tucking his head into his shoulder.

“It’s alright, beautiful. I am here, very much so,” he reassures as Vincent sobs against him, his hold a little too tight, though Tamotsu will not complain. He doesn’t understand what has happened, but it matters little in the face of such a greeting. “I’ve missed you too, so very much,” he whispers into Vincent’s ear, petting the young man gently, waiting for him to calm down.

***.***

The sun is starting to rise by the time everyone is done. Tseng is emotionally spent, and he knows his expression is too bare, but he has no strength left for any masks now.

Reno has filled the ashtray before him, his last cigarette still between his lips. It’s unlit… as if he’s waiting for a sign to light it.

Elena is slumped back in her chair, eyes closed. She still looks so damn young to Tseng, even if the night’s conversation has proven to him that she’s anything but naive. He can’t let go of his previous bias though… she’ll always be his little sister in his heart, even if his logic tells him different.

Rude is perched on the edge of Tseng’s desk, back still straight, despite the hours gone by and all that’s been revealed. He’s the rock to all the rest of their mess… solid and unbending as the rest of them crumble around him. Tseng would be proud if he could get past the overwhelming feeling of failure trying to drown him right now.

He’s had all night to feel sorry for himself though, and as the sunlight finally starts to shine through his open blinds, Tseng pushes down all of the pain and gets a grip on his fractured sense of self-worth.

“We need to move quickly, despite all of this,” he begins, pulling himself upright and ignoring the ache of his muscles and emotions. Pain only makes him feel more at home in his own skin, if he’s completely honest. “Rufus Shinra is after something, and we need to find out what it is. He’s probably using Vincent to get what he wants, and at this point, all we can do is try to work out what it is before Vincent pays the price. The tracking system is our first priority. As far as we know, they are unaware Vincent is bugged, so for now we fix the system and see where it leads us. Reno and Rude, that’s your focus. While you two do that, Elena and I will try other avenues. The Vice President does not just disappear without a trail, no matter how much he may like to.”

“On it,” Reno mutters, standing up and giving a half assed salute as he slinks out into the outer office, Rude in his wake. It leaves Tseng alone with Elena, the blond smiling a little as their eyes meet over his desk.

“Time to reign in the heir, yeah?” she announces, smirk a little too much like Tseng’s own. It only makes his own grow wider.

“Show me what you can do,” he challenges, far too amused at her scoff as she gets up and pulls out her phone.

***.***

Veld is tired, amongst other things. He is standing by choice though, watching intently as Tamotsu and Vincent sit on one sofa, close and always touching as if being physically parted is inexcusable.

Rufus, sitting rod upright on the other sofa, is glaring at them, predictably… although neither other man seems to notice. Veld had a feeling this would be the outcome, even if pointing it out to Rufus seemed useless when the youth refused to listen to reason on many things Veld tried to enlighten him of. Exhaling, Veld can only watch on, knowing that every moment the other two spent so lost in each other only soured the Shinra heir’s mood even further.

“Maybe I should just put you back where you came from.”

Veld raises an eyebrow at the blond’s muttered words, a little amused as Vincent freezes in place, eyes darting to Rufus worriedly. Tamotsu though only laughs lightly, his own gaze teasing and playful as he looks over to Rufus, one hand squeezing Vincent’s thigh comfortingly.

“That would be such a waste though, wouldn’t it?” the slaver murmurs, smiling sweetly. “All this trouble must have a point, after all,” Tamotsu states boldly, his other hand sweeping some of his too long hair back behind his ear. “So it would be a waste of resources if you didn’t follow through, Mr Shinra.”

Veld watches Rufus tense even further, impressed a little at the fact the boy could get any stiffer. Honestly he’s a little disappointed Rufus hadn’t seen this coming, but lessons were sometimes only learned through experience, especially when one as stubborn as Rufus is. He decides to step in though, before things get messy.

“There is a point to you being here, if you can focus on something other than Vincent for five minutes,” Veld inserts, ignoring the glare Rufus turns on him. “You may want to make yourself useful… unless you miss your cell.”

“That depends on what you wish from me,” Tamotsu responds, not ruffled in the slightest. He turns and grins at Vincent, who blushes… and Veld might just end up with diabetes if he has to endure much more of this shit.

“Vincent, go and make us tea,” Veld orders, satisfied as the young Turk immediately stands and heads to the kitchen to do as he is told. Tamotsu’s smile has faded now the other is out of the room, but he still looks a little amused at Rufus before finally turning to give Veld his full attention.

“Spit it out, Turk.”

Veld is tempted to wipe that smile off his face with his fists, but one look from Rufus stills that inclination. As aggravating as he finds Tamotsu, he knows Rufus is far more affected and managing to contain it… and he will not be outclassed by the Shinra heir, a child in years, if not in mentality.

“Your value as a hostage is based on your master. Once we have him, our interest in you will end,” Veld replies, tone flat and bored. “We tire of waiting for him to make a move. It could be he has simply lost interest in you though.”

Tamotsu’s amusement is gone, and it’s slightly satisfying to Veld, at least.

“I can stir up his interest,” Tamotsu inserts, eyes on the kitchen doorway, as if he’s worried about Vincent hearing anything further. Veld raises an eyebrow at that, curious, because he knows exactly what Rufus wants from Tamotsu, and it’s not Toki. He lets it go for now though, figuring things will work out in the end. The other anomalies haven’t come into play yet and things will change when they do.

“Good,” he tells the other, just as Vincent re-enters the room, tea tray laden down as he places it between them on the coffee table and begins to serve like a professional. Veld is a little surprised Vincent knows how, but the satisfied look on Tamotsu’s face is telling, even if Rufus’ glare has gone up a notch. It’s like watching one of those crappy day time soap operas on the television, watching these three, and it’s sadistically entertaining. Old habits die hard, it seems.

Veld honestly can’t wait to see what happens when Tseng is thrown into the mix.

***.***


	11. Chapter 11

***.***

Reno has his earphones in, fingers running across his keyboard as the music drowns out any other distractions in the office. Unfortunately, the distractions in his own head aren’t as easy to block out, but attempting to recover information from damaged data banks is so second nature to him by now that it at least doesn’t affect his progress.

The sudden purging of so many secrets between the Turks had been stressful, but very much needed, even if his own admittances were a little edited. The guilt twists a little in his stomach, but he doubts he is the only one keeping some things to himself.

It’s relieving to be rid of one big secret though, that he’s been digging where he shouldn’t, and Tseng seemed to accept his admission with no particular ire. Reno grins a little at that, because he was expecting so much worse, but Tseng is too wrapped up in his own sins to put any rage into Reno’s small transgression, thankfully.

Elena, too, has profited from their leader’s emotional self-flagellation. Her morning’s adventure was very much betrayal if Reno was totally honest about it, and if things were still run in the Turks like they used to be, her days would have been numbered. Tseng though is no Veld, and looks deeper, understands that nothing is black and white, and he’s always been one to take more stock in intent than actions. It makes Reno oddly proud, even if Tseng is the older, the more superior between them, because Reno does truly believe Tseng is a better leader, and a better human being for it.

A hand on his shoulder has Reno turning, Elena standing behind him with a serious expression, but it’s full of determination, not worry, and it cheers Reno to see the change.

“Yeah?” Reno asks as he pulls one earbud out, giving her a half smile.

“How’s it going? Boss wants an update,” she asks, her hand giving a light squeeze before letting him go.

“Good. Rude’s keeping an eye on the purge of the virus over there, and once it’s done we can try reloading the system Vincent’s tracker is on. While we’re waiting, I was just seeing what I can pull of the backup of the damaged storage,” Reno replies, turning back to his screen. “Shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“When it’s done, how long will the reboot take?”

“Hours for all of ‘em, but I was gonna just do that one alone first, which should only take an hour, tops,” Reno tells her, turning again to add, “So, should be able to try and get a fix on him within two hours? If nothing fucks up.”

“And will anything fuck up?” Elena asks, one eyebrow up in a look that almost makes Reno laugh out loud. She looks like a cuter version of Tseng, and it’s far too funny. 

Reno manages to hide his amusement though, as it’d only piss her off, and right now that’s the last thing he wants to do. She knows it was Reno’s virus, after all, and was still protecting him after all the lies between them, letting Tseng assume the virus came from Shinra’s interference. It’s an odd feeling, how much he cares for her, on a completely platonic level. It’s the first time Reno’s had such a relationship, and he figures it’s what it would be like to have a sibling, even if he’d never had a family to base his assumption off.

“Nah, not with my mad skills,” Reno boasts back, grinning as Elena pretends to cuff him across the back of the head, chuckling a little as she walks back to Tseng’s office and shuts the door.

“You two shouldn’t be so cheery,” Rude inserts into the silence she leaves behind, his voice flat and annoyed. “We’re not out of the woods yet, and things could go very badly from here.”

Reno scoffs, but his good mood is effectively smothered by his lover’s sour remarks. Rude is right… they may have found a path but there’s no way it’s going to be this easy, not with the Shinra heir in the mix.

“You’re such a mood killer, babe,” Reno grumbles, pushing his earbud back into his ear and settling his fingers on the keyboard a little harder than necessary.

He doesn’t even look over at his lover, missing the wounded expression Rude shoots his way.

***.*** 

Vincent is alone in the bedroom he’s sharing with Tamotsu, staring out over the surrounding landscape and trying to work out where exactly they are as he waits for the older man to finish showering in the adjoining room.

It’s not far from Midgar, but definitely out of its boarders, too much nature outside for any other assumption. It’s not a major town, only a handful of smaller buildings around this one, but it’s well defended. There’s a high stone wall to keep out any wildlife and it’s manned by guards, but they wear no identifying uniform. Most probably one of Rufus’ own small landholdings, he guesses, as Rufus is known to own quite a few scattered around the globe, but the exact whereabouts aren’t publically known. 

The Turks would have access to such things, but Vincent had never bothered to look before. Tseng though, would know. Vincent can’t help but wonder how much his lover has put together by now and how he will react. Will he be angry, disappointed… or worse of all, unconcerned? 

Vincent isn’t ready for the answers to the questions that keep popping up in his mind, and the fear that Tseng could appear at any moment is tugging at Vincent’s nerves constantly. Every moment Tamotsu is not here to distract him leaves him spiralling further into all the what ifs and possible repercussions.

Finally a hand cards through his hair, jerking Vincent out of his worries, and he looks up into the smiling face of the one he knows he shouldn’t be clinging to.

“Do you miss him?”

Vincent had only just begun to smile back at the older man, but the question tears his expression away and leaves him feeling horribly exposed. Tamotsu waits for an answer, his hand still petting Vincent’s hair as he patiently watches every emotion clashing over the Turk’s face.

“Yes,” Vincent finally manages, because it’s the truth. He’s never been very good at lying to Tamotsu. Avoidance has always been his only defence.

“Tell me about him?” 

Tamotsu’s tone is so hard to read that Vincent falters, not sure what it is he wants to hear. Just thinking of Tseng brings him so much pain, and he knows he’s not hiding it at the moment, his heart beating too fast as he’s forced to focus on the one person he’s been using Tamotsu’s touch to avoid.

“H-he… he is… w-why would you want to know?” Vincent finally stutters out, so very confused as Tamotsu’s hand moves down from his hair and cups one of his cheeks. Vincent doesn’t even realise a tear has escaped one eye until Tamotsu’s thumb wipes it away.

“Is he the one who touched you before we met? The one who then turned away from you, with no explanation, and broke your heart?”

“Yes… but he is different now,” Vincent whispers, swallowing down the urge to cry as he tries to hold his shattering sense of reality together. “He loves me.”

“Did he ever explain why he spurned you before?” Tamotsu asks, his other hand coming up to join the first, cradling Vincent’s face so gently.

“We never talked about it,” Vincent admits, eyes unable to look away from Tamotsu’s gaze. “There was so much else… and I couldn’t hold things together, but I wanted… I needed… and he was there, open and available. Suddenly everything I had wanted for so long was being offered just when I needed it the most.”

“He put you back together, when you thought I was dead. After he told you I was dead.” 

It’s not a question, but a statement, and it seems so very wrong somehow, even if Vincent is too broken inside to work out why.

“Yes,” Vincent replies, the sudden felling that he needs to defend Tseng overwhelming in the moment. “But he never took anything I didn’t offer freely, never demanded anything from me I wasn’t willing to give. He’s always just… been there since then, in whatever way I needed him to be. No matter how wrong I am, how difficult and broken… he never looks at me with anything but acceptance and love.”

Tamotsu is very still, expression showing nothing. Vincent can only stare back at him, eyes wide and feeling horribly like he is missing what this is really all about.

Suddenly Tamotsu pulls his hands away and smiles. It’s an odd expression, earnest yet sad, and it pulls at Vincent’s heart painfully.

“Come, let us put our minds off such trying things for now,” Tamotsu announces, turning away and walking to the door. He pauses with his hand upon the doorknob to glance back at Vincent over his shoulder. “Our host has informed me he has an extensive collection of movies available to watch, and I’m sure we can find a pleasant distraction.”

When Vincent doesn’t move Tamotsu turns around, offering out a hand, smile sweetening and head tilting a little to one side.

“Come on, my dear Arashi. Do you not trust me?”

Vincent stands and takes his hand with both of his own, managing a small one sided smile that is full of all the affection he feels for this enigmatic man he adores. A distraction is indeed a step in the right direction, as he doesn’t want to go any further into the subject they had been addressing.

“Of course I trust you… to an extent,” Vincent murmurs, grinning cheekily, “but I don’t think you can do much harm with a simple movie choice.” 

Tamotsu chuckles, pulling him in close and kissing his cheek.

“Ah, well that all depends on our dear Shinra heir’s taste in film, my love.”

***.***

Tseng inhales deeply on the cigarette he holds, staring out over Midgar but seeing no detail in the city before him. His own thoughts are too consuming, his mind processing and presenting possibilities at a rate that doesn’t allow for any outside distraction.

Tamotsu is gone, Tseng having checked the cell himself only to have his worst fears confirmed. Rufus Shinra has taken him, for an unknown purpose, stripping the Turks of their only link to Toki, and leaving them open to be manipulated at the Vice President’s will.

How Vincent fits into the scenario is still unknown, and that bothers Tseng the most. No matter how he looks at it all, he just can’t work out any reason for Rufus to take Vincent too.

It’s hard to concentrate on the whys of it all, when he’s so wounded by the loss of his lover. The fact that Vincent probably now knows he’s been lied to about Tamotsu’s death isn’t helping. Tseng doubts he’ll ever be forgiven for that betrayal, and it complicates matters further because they can now not rely on Vincent’s loyalty either.

Instead of letting the pain drown him, Tseng pushes it away, focusing instead on the next step as a Turk. He cannot afford such luxuries as mourning right now.

He hears Elena enter, but doesn’t turn around. He needs a little more time to pull his anger up, shoving it at the forefront of his mind like a shield, using it to flatten out his emotions and thin down his focus to a sharp point. His Turks had been so easily divided and manipulated by the Shinra heir, and it’s not hard to let the frustration of that fuel his ire. Letting any of them know he’s angry about it will only alienate them further though, so Tseng slips on a calmer exterior mask as he turns to hear her progress report.

***.***

Rufus stares at the fireplace before him, letting the dancing flames calm him some, as the book he’d been trying to read lies discarded on his lap. He feels worn through, tired of keeping up the necessary exterior façade of disinterest and disdain when the last twenty-four hours have been so draining. 

Getting away from Veld’s judgemental eyes has helped, the ex-Turk finally absent from his side to keep an eye on Tamotsu and Vincent… a thought that makes Rufus smirk a little, as he knows the annoyance it will bring to not only Veld, but the other two as well.

The lack of distractions is leaving him thinking too much though, as it always does, and the smirk quickly fades back into a frown. Thinking about Tamotsu, and how obvious it is that the relationship between he and Valentine is much more than Rufus had assumed leaves his heart aching. He can almost hear Veld snickering at the thought, and mumbling something about it being more likely Rufus’ wounded pride, as everyone knows Shinras have no heart.

Rufus can’t help but wish right now that that were true. 

His phone is a welcome distraction as it starts to vibrate, pulling him from his depressing musings as he picks it up and answers.

“I told you this was a waste of my time,” Veld says in greeting, tone bored and slightly condescending. Rufus takes a moment to swallow down the urge to bite back, keeping his temper in check.

“Time better spent fishing?” Rufus replies, reaching for the glass of whiskey he’d set aside earlier and taking a sip to calm himself further. “I’d have thought you’d enjoy the chance to live like a normal human being for a while… indoor plumbing must at least be one step up from the usual for you.”

“Hard to enjoy anything while having to watch over the sickening love birds,” Veld shoots back, never one to miss a chance to wound. “Are you convinced yet that you’re wrong about Tamotsu? Or will it take a knife in the back for you to see sense?”

Rufus doesn’t have a retort for that one, the barb a little too accurate as he breathes in deep, taking too long to control his emotions. Veld sighs over the phone, but it just hurts to hear it, yet more disapproval from one he’s always tried so hard to impress.

“Rufus… you’re not stupid. You know this will not end as you wish it too. He’s been bred to manipulate, from even earlier in life than you. It’s all he knows, and he’s too old to change now, no matter how much you wish him to.”

“You don’t know him like I do,” Rufus retorts, but even as the words pass his lips, he knows how childish it sounds. Before Veld can sprout any more wisdom, he quickly pushes on. “We go forward, finish this and get the Turks were I need them to be. As for Tamotsu, right now he’s a tool, and after that… well, there will be other factors that come to play, as you well know.”

“I think you’re underestimating how much Tseng’s heart will interfere with business,” Veld muses, but by his tone Rufus knows he’s letting it go for now. “As for moving forward, Tamotsu made his call, and now we wait. Hopefully it will not be long.”

“Any news from father?” Rufus asks, relieved to move on from the argument they’ve been having for far too long.

“His secretary called to say he’s been informed of your departure, but as you predicted, it seems he’s too busy to even ask why you’re taking a break,” Veld replies, his distaste clear. It’s comforting to Rufus that Veld feels it too, and his reaction brings a small smile to the heir’s lips.

“Good,” Rufus sighs, taking another sip of his drink. “I’m going to retire for the night. Do call if there’s any progress.”

“Will do… and Rufus? Don’t drink anymore tonight. You need to be sharp for what’s to come,” Veld says in parting before hanging up.

Rufus can’t help but grin wider as he puts down his phone, Veld’s weird way of knowing exactly what he was doing at all times a reassuring counter to his own father’s lack of interest. He leaves the rest of his drink untouched as he turns in for the night.

***.***


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, I'm not dead....

Vincent isn’t as broken as they think he is. As the morning light drifts in through the window, dancing across his and Tamotsu’s still sleeping form, he contemplates what he’s done, where he is and what it means, in the grand scheme of things.

Tseng hasn’t come yet, but he is definitely on his way. Rufus has been in talks with Tamotsu, talks he hasn’t been invited to, but Veld has. He knows it must involve Toki. He knows whatever Rufus is telling Tamotsu, it’s a lie.

Whether Tamotsu believes what he’s being told… well, Vincent can only guess. There’s something Rufus Shinra wants, and he’s going to use Tamotsu, and probably Vincent too, to get it. Tamotsu is alive for now, but how long that will last is anyone’s guess.

Vincent glares into the sunshine, trying to work out just how he can get more information. Tamotsu is cooperative, but silent when it comes to this. No matter how much Vincent prods and coaxes, he’s getting nothing… and while Tamotsu is clingy and so very affectionate, he’s not sexual with Vincent in the slightest, leaving the Turk no room to manipulate any answers.

Frustration isn’t a strong enough word for this feeling, what’s keeping him from sleep and constantly running through his mind. Vincent has to somehow find a way in. He’s right here, but for all they’re telling him, he might as well be in Midgar. It only leaves him one option, and he’s unsure whether it’s even a viable option at this point.

“Have you slept at all?” Tamotsu mutters, words slurred and rough, sleep still clinging too strongly to his every move as he clumsily rolls closer to sling an arm across Vincent.

“Tell me what you’re planning with them?” Vincent responds, blatantly bold and to the point. It’s worth a try, even if it doubts it will do much good.

“Planning with whom?” Tamotsu replies, ignorance thick and as aggravating as always. Vincent’s simply not in the mood for it.

“Your insistence that I am stupid is rather insulting, at this point,” Vincent bites out, sitting up and knocking the other man’s arm aside. “I am here, I have risked everything to save your life, and still you think I’ll be fine with it like this? Kept in the dark and told nothing, as if I really am nothing but the naive slave I pretended to be, to please you. Did you forget that I was playing a part then? Or has your ego talked you into believing that was truly all I was.”

The silence is too long, Vincent still as he sits on the side of the bed, back to Tamotsu and eyes on the window before him. This is a huge risk, to push against their pre-determined positions, but he’s sick and tired of playing the victim. He may have fit the bill back then, but he’s not that person now and it’s well past time Tamotsu accepted it.

And if he won’t… well, then Vincent knows this isn’t where he should be, not any more.

“Arashi…,” Tamotsu begins, but Vincent isn’t in the mood for his melancholy mutterings.

“My name is Vincent, you know this. Let the past go and accept I am more than you ever wanted me to be. Just… for fucks sake, tell me the damn truth, for once in your life.”

***.***

Reno feels too tense as he punches in keys, all too aware of the eyes over his shoulder, watching his every move. The system is up, and the little circle on the screen before them spins as it triangulates Vincent’s whereabouts, but every circuit it makes seems too long, too fucking much time with Tseng breathing down his damn neck.

It finally stops, brings up a map, and Tseng’s hand on his shoulder tightens to a painful extent.

“I know where he is,” Tseng mutters, fingers digging in deep. “It’s one of Rufus’ holdings, as we predicted. I expect you all at the helipad in ten minutes."

Reno lets out a breath as he's released, the older Turk heading to his office to... well, Reno assumes he's going to load up with ammo and shit.

“Fuck,” Elena whispers softly, moving away as Reno shakes himself out of his inertia.

Reno can only agree, silently, as he stands and heads for the ammo storeroom, flicking his phone open and confirming their departure with the air traffic control. Rude is a silent shadow beside him, but it’s enough to get him through, for now at least.

***.***

Tamotsu is an actor, flickering and indescript as he postures and poses, and despite Rufus’ knowing this, he is still captivated... an audience of one to this master of the craft.

“Of course, this is a trap,” Tamotsu muses, flicking his hair a little as his eyes meet Rufus’, a smile that lacks any humour curling his lips. “But I’m sure you’re more than aware of that already, my dear Rufus.”

Rufus ignores Veld’s mumbled expletive, smiling instead as he meets the slaver’s grin with one of his own.

“I would expect nothing less… although, I do think your master has, in this instance at least, underestimated his quarry.” He lifts his glass to his lips then, taking a slow, steady drink and ignoring the look Veld shoots in his direction. Turks… they never do bother with the intricacies that are so very important at times like this.

“Maybe,” Tamotsu murmurs, tapping a finger on his lips before dropping his hand and grinning back at Rufus in a way that belies his age. He is, after all, old enough to be Rufus’ father… well, maybe his uncle at least. It only stirs a warmth inside of Rufus he’d rather ignore at this point, as hard as that may be.

“Regardless, we proceed,” Rufus insists, glancing at Veld flatly. The older Turk only nods, but his stiffness is a give Rufus takes note of, but it’s not enough to halt his plans. “You know what rests on this working to my advantage. There will not be another chance for you, Tamotsu.”

“I understand, Sir,” Tamotsu replies, all demure and submissive as he bows, but that grin… well, it’s twisted in a way that Rufus knows means nothing good. It only makes his stomach tighten in excitement though, his desire easily pushing down his logic and more cutthroat inclinations and silencing them.

"Veld, ready our transport,” Rufus orders, gaze finally leaving Tamotsu to watch the Turk leave, taunt and far too ridged. Rufus can’t help but let his smirk go up a notch, the thrill of the game always driving him forward, and when he glances back at Tamotsu, he finds the same expression in the older man’s smile too.

***.***

The wind is fierce on top of the Shinra tower as Reno watches the rest of his team approach, the mutterings of the control tower just background noise as he checks over the controls of the helicopter he knows like the back of his own hand. They’re warning of the weather, and Reno only grins as the others climb aboard and strap themselves in, Rude a silent, calming presence beside him.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he mutters, grinning at Rude who only rolls his eyes at Reno’s attitude. “Turks don’t got time to wait for the damn weather, so just fuck up, yeah?”

The silence from the radio is telling, and Reno only chuckles at it as he winds up the engines.

“Reno, do try not to taunt the people who are, after all, just doing their job,” Tseng murmurs through the headset.

“Yes Sir,” Reno replies, but it’s all only for show. He knows Tseng would have him fly through a fucking hurricane for this, if it came to it, so yeah… play nice with the civilians while ignoring all their good advice.

Regardless, they’re airborne within minutes, Reno fighting a little with the winds but more than used to flying in crappy conditions. Rude’s grip on the side of his chair is telling, but it only makes Reno’s blood run a little faster, a nice edge to the normal grind of his duty.

Once they’re high enough, the turbulence settles, and Rude starts hitting keys on the laptop on his legs, checking their target's position.

“He’s on the move, Sir,” Rude mutters, and then Tseng is there, between their seats and peering over Rude’s shoulder.

“Follow the signal, but try to be discreet, Reno,” Tseng replies, tapping the redhead on the shoulder. “Wherever they’re headed, we need to be close behind.”

“Like a shadow, Sir,” Reno mutters, eyes on the controls as he keeps his bird in line. His blood maybe rushing, but this is where he’s the most comfortable and the thrill never gets old. “We’ll be five behind them, whatever they’re up to.”

***.***

They’re dropped off in the middle of nowhere, bushland and no civilization for miles around, and despite Vincent’s earlier thoughts that Veld and Rufus were a dangerous combination, right now he’s rethinking that assumption. There’s no backup, just him, Tamotsu , Veld and Rufus, and Toki might have… well, a whole army, for all they know. This is foolish, naive and he can’t help but say something when it feels like he’s the only one to realise what should be obvious to all.

“Do you value your life so little, Rufus Shinra?”

Rufus turns and looks in his direction, the picture of disdain, and Vincent simply stares back, more than over the heir’s low opinion of him by this stage. He may be his boss, technically, but Vincent’s not really willing to die for him, not any more.

“Not everything is as you imagine it, Vincent Valentine,” the Shinra heir replies, expression a little too self-satisfied to ignore right now, and Vincent’s own eyes thin in annoyance. He glances at Veld then, sees the older man’s eyes going to the brush land around them, notices the very deliberate way he’s moving, a scratch to the ear, a rub to his nose. Veld is never one to be twitchy, if you are familiar with him and this… well, it’s obvious now that it’s signals and that they are not as alone as Vincent first assumed.

Tamotu’s arms encircle him from behind, the older man’s resting his head on Vincent’s shoulder before pressing a kiss to his neck, just under his ear.

“Ex-Turks everywhere, my love,” he whispers before he bites lightly on Vincent’s ear. “Just as dead and lost as their dear leader, but it works to our advantage.”

It makes this all more logical, at least, but doesn’t comfort Vincent or make his taught muscles relax. Veld and Rufus may be safer as a result, but Vincent knows Veld is all too ready to sacrifice Tamotsu and himself for whatever it is Rufus wants… which only makes these other agents helpful against whatever Toki might have waiting for them. After that, they will be nothing more than more adversaries Vincent will have to deal with to keep Tamotsu alive. Not knowing how many of them are out there makes Vincent clench his teeth together so hard that his jaw starts to ache.

“I know,” Tamotsu adds softly, reading Vincent's body language effortlessly. It should be disturbing, but as Tamotsu presses his nose into the back of Vincent’s ear affectionately, the young Turk's eyes just flutter closed, the sudden comfort a little overwhelming. “But we’ll deal with that when the time comes, my love.”

Vincent nods, breathing in deep as Tamotsu finally pulls away, and he’s got his professionalism almost perfected by the time the older man moves beside him, a hand curling around his own.

Rufus’ glare is hard to miss, as it’s directed straight at Vincent right now, even if the Turk can’t help but smirk right back at him.

“By you lead, Vice President,” Vincent murmurs, managing to straighten out his expression as Rufus studies him before finally turning away.

“Be on your guard,” Rufus instructs, striding ahead with Veld at his side. “You are, after all, the least important asset here, Vincent Valentine.”

“Only to you,” Tamotsu retorts, shooting Rufus a smile as the blond glances backwards momentarily. Then Vincent is being pulled along, Tamotsu’s grip on his hand firm and all he can do is follow.

***.***

Rude hates this. It’s too quiet, the bush land around them a stark contrast to the city’s constant murmur, and it sets all his nerves on edge. He’s a city boy, born and bred, and the silence of the outer lands has never sat well with him, a discomfort not helped at all by the man he’s traversing the area with right now. Tseng is as taunt as a bow, his expression flat and body all stiff and ready to strike… and just how he’s holding up that level of readiness for so long is beyond Rude’s imagination.

Sure, Valentine is important to him too, but this is beyond normal concerned apprehension. They’re all aware Tseng’s attachment to Vincent borders on obsession, goes far beyond that in Rude’s personal opinion, not that anyone ever asked him his opinion.

Probably a good thing, all things considered. It’s not something he’s ever wanted to voice because… well, just how does one work around that reality? Tseng is their leader, they do as he instructs, and to admit he’s not thinking clearly leaves them all floundering, which this feels like in spades. Reno and Elena are out here too, out of sight but flanking Rude and Tseng’s steps as they trudge down the main path, draped in the dirty and uncomfortable clothes of the two local hunters they’d taken out not long after landing… and that, in itself, still bothered him.

Sure, they’re Turks and killing random civilians to further their own objectives wasn’t exactly rare, but the way Tseng had gone about it…. 

Maybe Rude was being a little sensitive. Reno would say he was, he was sure. But still, Tseng didn’t even give the pair the chance to strip and fuck off, which usually he would in a similar circumstance. This time though, he just executed them both without even a word, and while Reno and Elena didn’t say anything, their expressions were enough.

Fucking crazy shit was not going to end well and Rude hated it when surviving the day was a questionable result. Besides, these outfits stunk, and it was fucking hot under all this fur and fuck, why was he always stuck being one of the draws? Sure, he was big, but he could move through the underbrush just as quietly as Reno and Elena, if need be.

“Structures up ahead,” Tseng mutters beside him, picking up the pace. Rude just follows, hearing Reno and Elena’s conformation in his earpiece. Didn’t look like much, but experience didn’t let him linger on that. All the way out here there shouldn’t be anything, and a lone cement structure was a little too convenient. He was almost at peace with whatever was to come before a sudden voice over the intercom set all his senses on alert.

“Company inbound, multiple targets,” Reno hissed… and then everything went to shit.

***.***


End file.
